Shanghai Expo Ads Everywhere

194 X 130 cm     ac     2010/4/22

Six-hundred days counting down to the Shanghai World Expo, advertisements for the grand event bearing the Expo emblem and the smiling mascot Haibao began appearing on every street corner, especially around the Bund, where a long wall fenced in the intense remodeling and construction going on. The media campaign was very cheerful and uplifting to the eyes and to the spirit.

The Expo emblem illustrates a family of three joining together hand-in-hand as a happy couple bearing a cheerful child, suggesting the Chinese Character of “World” ( 世) for World Expo. As for the omnipresent mascot, “Haibao” means “Treasure of Oceans,” and is structured out of the Chinese character “Man” ( 人) with two supporting legs to stand up, signifying cooperation, unity and mutual support of human society. Both the emblem and mascot are personified by photos on the ad, as one father bears a Haibao baby on his head and a family of three joyfully go kiteflying in a park. Dr. Chen paints them as well as himself onto the canvas.