Whilst in the western world we appear to shy away from anything small and cute (tries not to make an obvious dirty joke), in the East, smaller is always better. From technology and architecture, to food and even living space, the lack of space available in the heavily congested cities of Japan, China and Hong Kong, have resulted in products getting smaller and smaller. Automobiles especially (feel free to Google “Kei Car” for proof).
To illustrate the car's unique size, Ogilvy & Mather Group Hong Kong has created a series of dazzling 3D posters
Whilst Smart Car have a minor presence in this country, they are still seen as objects to be ridiculed thanks to the patronising piffle spawned by Jeremy Clarkson and his knuckle dragging minions. Indeed, in Australia (whilst not technically the west, it does share many of our cultural markings) the Smart Car brand has recently been axed entirely due to slow sales (just 22 sold so far this year). In Hong Kong, however, the Smart Car (and cars just like it) has thrived, and the tiny, nimble Smart Fortwo (the brand's signature model) is being marketed as the perfect little car for navigating Hong Kong’s notoriously narrow and constantly congested streets with minimum fuss.
Hong Kong – The Perfect City For A Smart Car
To illustrate the model's unique size, Ogilvy & Mather Group Hong Kong has created a series of dazzling 3D posters of Hong Kong streets to hang in the Mercedes-Benz showroom in Hung Hom. The posters were created in collaboration with acclaimed Hong Kong illustrator, Jonathan Jay Lee, and incorporate an art technique known as reverse perspective, which creates an optical illusion with objects at the forefront of the drawing appearing furthest away and vice versa. In order to achieve this effect, objects farther away from the ‘viewing plane’ are drawn as larger, and closer objects are drawn as smaller. Lee used this technique to exaggerate the narrow Hong Kong Streets, creating the perfect canvas from which to promote the Smart Fortwo as the perfect vehicle for navigating the city.
The posters were created by Ogilvy in collaboration with acclaimed Hong Kong illustrator Jonathan Jay Lee
Reed Collins, chief creative officer at Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong, said “Hong Kong has such narrow and crowded streets, yet so many people drive oversized cars, which can be difficult to manoeuvre and park at times.” They “Brought this issue to life in the showroom with Jonathan’s incredible illustrations,” in a manner that's “Effective in showing customers the value of the Smart Fortwo at the point of purchase.” What are your thoughts? Would you buy a Smart Car if you lived in Hong Kong? Sound off below.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK. He has never driven a Smart Car, but is honestly quite intrigued. He's always been a bit of an outsider though.
