August
BBC Sports has taken a page from history in its approach to advertising TV coverage of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Other than the typical action shots of gold metals, spectacular athletic feats, and the Olympic torch, BBC Sports has collaborated with virtual band Gorillaz co-creators singer-songwriter Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett to create a promotional campaign that utilizes the Chinese “Journey to the West” story:
The ad, titled “Journey to the East”, is a 2-minute animation, which incorporated traditional pencil-paper techniques and computer FX, took 12 weeks to complete. The animation takes essential qualities from the Wu Cheng’en’s “Journey to the West” story, which written in the 1590s, is known as one of the four great classics in Chinese literature. The story (Check Wikipedia for the full story background), basically is about how the East has become a land that “knows only greed, hedonism, promiscuity, and sins”. The journey of a monk and his 3 companions (Monkey, Pig, and Sandy) to India is to bring back the Buddhist sutras, which will bring “transcendence and persuasion for good will” back to the East.
The “Journey to the East” animation incorporates not only values and beliefs from the “Journey to the West” classic, but also the Olympics’ core values. As stated on the official Olympic site, “the Games have always brought people together in peace to respect universal moral principles.” The event is a symbol of our choice as a people to put aside our political and historical differences in a moment of time to celebrate our diversity and strengths as a single people. China’s historical stories are infused into the “Journey to the East”, embodying the fundamental core meaning behind the Olympics, and as a result, puts China in a position to be less about the growing problems revolving around human rights, pollution, etc., and more a symbol of growth, prosperity and peace.
There are many elements through the entire 2-minute animation that embody the spirit of the Olympics. The characters Monkey, Pig, and Sandy symbolize how we are only mortals and mortals make mistakes, but with enlightenment and a second chance, we can be great.
Monkey
Like an Olympic runner, Monkey is agile and fast, but like any mortal, he can be excessively violent and had rebelled against Heaven when he was previously the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
Pig
Perhaps the strongest of the three companions, he “often gets himself and his companions into trouble by his laziness, his gluttony, and his propensity for lusting after pretty women.”
Sandy
Previously Great General who Folds the Curtain, Sandy was “banished to the mortal realm for dropping (and shattering) a crystal goblet of the Heavenly Queen Mother.”
These characters, originally immortal members of Heaven, made terrible mistakes, but they fundamentally are good and are given a second change to redeem themselves by utilizing their skills in the quest for the Buddhist sutras. The Olympics showcases athletes and their talents. More so, they are representatives of the best qualities in humanity. Not only the physical, but the respect, mutual admiration, and honor. Outside of the Olympics, we may be regular mailmen, teachers, and office workers, but at the Olympics, we rise to the occasion to fulfill our human potential. Regardless of China’s own problems with human rights and its political stance with countries like Taiwan and Tibet, the message is that we are all given second chances (every 4 years perhaps?) to reach for gold. Progress takes time and we struggle along the way. In the end of the “Journey to the West”, when the monk and his companions succeed in their quest, they are all rewarded: Monkey and the monk achieve Buddhahood, Sandy becomes an arhat, and Pig becomes an atlar cleanser (he gets to eat the leftovers. Shoot, where do I sign up that??).
The promotional ad is full of symbols that connect with the Olympics. Even the Olympic stadium is in the form of a bird’s nest, which in many parts of Asia, is the key ingredient in bird’s nest soup, because it is “rich in nutrients which are traditionally believed to provide health benefits, such as aiding digestion, raising libido, improving the voice, alleviating asthma, increasing concentration, and an overall benefit to the immune system.” Cannot be a great athlete without being healthy, mind, body and soul!
The utilization of the storytelling medium and the new techniques of animation and TV show a remix of tradition and progress that embodies China’s desire for a positive self-image in the world. The BBC correctly wants to show China as wanting to be a progress leader while using traditional values. The campaign’s use of morally grounded stories shows traditional values can transcend time and is relevant today. It is interesting that the title of the animation is “Journey to the EAST” and not “Journey to the “WEST”. It is a clever word choice that hints to China being where the “transcendence and persuasion for good will” can be found. Monkey and his friends travel their way to the Bird Nest Stadium to find where all the goodness in the world is. It is an image that is very optimistic and is what the Olympics holds dear.
The campaign is effective in taking two qualities that many Chinese care about when it comes to the perception of their country by other people in the world: modernity and traditional values. Also, Albarn and Hewlett are using engaging animations to connect to the audiences that are either unfamiliar with the story and its characters but are intrigued, or the audiences that are familiar and nostalgic. The characters, setting, and emotion connect to what the Olympics are all about: putting a positive message of hope, prosperity, and progress. The remix animation is a great bridge for the 2008 Olympics to show that history is the constant teacher and can guide us in our future. It is in the present where we must act.
“The past is history. The future is a mystery. The present is a gift.” Just wanted to throw that quote out there for fun! ?
Do you believe China’s image will become more positive after the Olympics?
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BONUS:
Here is some “Behind the Scenes” in creating the characters from the “Journey to the East” Olympic promotion, which are based originally off a live stage adaption by the same Gorillaz creators:
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i think the ad does a great job in conveying it’s message where there’s high potential for a viewer to be confused. Surely most passive observers won’t be drawing the deeper parallels associated with “the journey to the west” (nor are they expected to), but the ideas of teamwork and interdependency are well established in the ad. As for the question regarding China’s image, I have strong opinions about how this will play out and I hope that having lived and worked in China lends some manner of credibility to them. Sad to say, but I think China will ultimately be portrayed VERY POORLY when they’re cast in the light of the Olympic flame. 1) They’re already going back on their promises to allow unfettered and uncensored access to the foreign press. 2) They’ve failed to bring their both air & water pollution down to levels acceptable for living, let alone olympic competition. 3) In the wake of their tragic earthquake, the Party is forcing rural families to sign letters that say they will not protest or seek investigations into school collapses that killed their children. On top of that, the letter also demands that they praise the Party for it’s gracious efforts in the aftermath of the quake. If they don’t sign, they won’t get any money for their losses and/or will be jailed.
My apologies for making this too political, but the question is a good one, and deserves honest answers. And I truly think China’s already-faltering image with crumble when they’re human rights and global pollution violations are exposed.
My friend is currently in Beijing on a summer internship and said the city has done a good job on putting a positive face forward for China. The question is whether or not the world will really buy into the changed image or see it as dust swept under the carpet.
Nonetheless, China should take advantage of this opportunity, and it will be interesting to see how their reputation will change, if at all, post Olympics. Nice coverage Gary.
This ad is saying that China is to the Olympics as Monkey is to the East. China, like Monkey, is on a journey to spiritual insight, enlightenment, and atonement for its past sins as the country welcomes the world to this year’s Olympic events. The result? Well Monkey and his entourage were rewarded, but will there be a similar happy ending for China? This ad isn’t successful because it brilliantly compared China to the protagonist of a classic Chinese story about penance and atonement; it’s successful because it’s fueling discussion about China’s global responsibility. An ad that can spark the sort of engagement that Danny and Kevin have demonstrated is worth noting.
Fascinating analysis, thank you.
i think it’s too much for the world to comprehend. i think people who know the gorillaz and their style will get it, and some asian communities, but other than that i think people are going to be really confused.
When I first saw the Monkey commercial, I was thinking it was a cool commercial with a lot of historical elements behind it. It’s not a terribly deep commercial, but it’s a cool interpretation. There is a reason behind the creative direction. I think it’s about bringing past and present together.
I watched the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony last night, and I was amazed by the fusion of technology and tradition. For example, they had 2008 drummers playing on these lit-up drums that when seen from a high altitude looks like a huuuuuge lcd screen spelling out words and counting down. That’s pretty awesome, because just tuning in, I had believed it really WAS an lcd screen.
I look forward to seeing the coverage of the Olympics not only for the sports, but for the commentary on the current state of China’s image. They Chinese people have really put their heart and soul into the Games and I hope for a positive outcome and will open people’s mind into learning about China, its history and culture, and contribute to its future in some fashion.