Brand Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
Brand Hong Kong, or was launched in 2001 as a government program designed to promote Hong Kong as "Asia’s World City". In 2010, following a major review and public engagement exercise, BrandHK was updated, incorporating changes to its visual identity, core values, attributes and brand platform.
. The decision to develop BrandHK was finally taken by the Government of Hong Kong
in 2000.
Extensive research and consultation was undertaken in Hong Kong and internationally, leading to the choice of “Asia’s world city” as the brand motto that best reflects the city’s traits, while a stylised dragon was considered to best represent the Hong Kong’s visual identity. The government review of 2008-09 was undertaken to identify changes that had taken place in and around the city since 2001, and to incorporate those changes into the brand.
Upon unveiling of the new-style 'ribbon' logo in 2010, it was criticized that the fees paid to the branding company could not be justified by the limited updates to the logo. The article also included interview quotations from the designer of the previous brand image, who disliked the removal of the 'HK' and '香港' characters from the dragon 'flames', suggesting that the change reduced the meaning of the brand.
The core values are chosen by Hong Kong people to reflect their attitudes and aspirations towards their city: "free", "enterprising", "excellence", "innovative", and "quality living." The attributes, also chosen via public research, are the unique characteristics of Hong Kong: "cosmopolitan, secure", "connected", "diverse", and "dynamic".
BrandHK continues to position Hong Kong as "Asia’s world city". The BrandHK platform describes Hong Kong as
for Hong Kong '香港' as well as the city's initial 'HK'.
In 2010, following a Government review, the dragon logo was updated to "better reflect the city’s energetic modernity and vitality," making the dragon head smaller and incorporating three streak of ribbons behind the dragon's head.
In the logo, the blue and green ribbons that extend from the dragon symbolise blue sky and a sustainable environment. Lion Rock
— a local mountain — is silhouetted by the red ribbon. The fluid shape of the ribbons is designed to evoke versatility, while the multiple colours signify the city’s diversity and dynamism.
History
The idea of “branding” Hong Kong originated in 1997, when much attention was focused on the handover of Hong Kong to China. There was concern that Hong Kong's ability to remain as an international financial center as well as a global cityGlobal city
A global city is a city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system...
. The decision to develop BrandHK was finally taken by the Government of Hong Kong
Government of Hong Kong
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...
in 2000.
Extensive research and consultation was undertaken in Hong Kong and internationally, leading to the choice of “Asia’s world city” as the brand motto that best reflects the city’s traits, while a stylised dragon was considered to best represent the Hong Kong’s visual identity. The government review of 2008-09 was undertaken to identify changes that had taken place in and around the city since 2001, and to incorporate those changes into the brand.
Upon unveiling of the new-style 'ribbon' logo in 2010, it was criticized that the fees paid to the branding company could not be justified by the limited updates to the logo. The article also included interview quotations from the designer of the previous brand image, who disliked the removal of the 'HK' and '香港' characters from the dragon 'flames', suggesting that the change reduced the meaning of the brand.
DNA
The visual identity of Brand Hong Kong comprises three main elements: a stylised dragon, the brandline “Asia’s world city,” and the logotype that reads “Hong Kong”. Additionally, BrandHK consists of four main parts: core value, attribute, brand positioning, and brand platform. These constituent parts are often referred to as the brand’s ‘DNA’, and were determined following the brand review and public engagement exercise during 2008.The core values are chosen by Hong Kong people to reflect their attitudes and aspirations towards their city: "free", "enterprising", "excellence", "innovative", and "quality living." The attributes, also chosen via public research, are the unique characteristics of Hong Kong: "cosmopolitan, secure", "connected", "diverse", and "dynamic".
BrandHK continues to position Hong Kong as "Asia’s world city". The BrandHK platform describes Hong Kong as
The Hong Kong Dragon
BrandHK’s dragon logo represents Hong Kong's continuing link with history and culture, it also symbolises the fusion of Eastern and Western lifestyle that many associate with the city. The original image design incorporated the Chinese charactersChinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
for Hong Kong '香港' as well as the city's initial 'HK'.
In 2010, following a Government review, the dragon logo was updated to "better reflect the city’s energetic modernity and vitality," making the dragon head smaller and incorporating three streak of ribbons behind the dragon's head.
In the logo, the blue and green ribbons that extend from the dragon symbolise blue sky and a sustainable environment. Lion Rock
Lion Rock
Lion Rock, or less formally Lion Rock Hill, is a famous hill in Hong Kong. It is located between Kowloon Tong in Kowloon and Tai Wai in the New Territories, and is 495 metres high...
— a local mountain — is silhouetted by the red ribbon. The fluid shape of the ribbons is designed to evoke versatility, while the multiple colours signify the city’s diversity and dynamism.