Recently, the Wukang Building in Shanghai has been pretty busy. The “8th Anniversary of JD.com Buy Drugs” campaign utilised CG (computer-generated imagery) technology to transform the Wukang Building into a 9,275-square-metre birthday cake which was packed and taken away by JD.com’s mascot Joy, a white dog. This campaign enticed consumers to join the event in an animated manner.
Swisse, a natural health brand, also employed CG technology to reimagine the Wukang Building, a Shanghai landmark, into a pink structure decorated with cherry blossoms. This transformation aimed to provide consumers with a romantic allure and inspire a fascination for sweets under the theme of “All Sweet, No Sugar”.
Situated on Huaihai Road in Shanghai’s Xuhui District, the Wukang Building was designed in 1924 by foreign architect Hugyecz László and has since become a new landmark in Shanghai’s urban landscape. Over the past year, digital artists have been experimenting with the Shanghai Wukang Building, while brands have been leveraging AI and CG technology to utilise it as a marketing platform. For Christmas 2023, Valentino crafted a 15-second CG animation depicting a Christmas ball descending from the building amidst swirling ribbons of colour and a Christmas box being opened.
On Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, the hashtag #Open Shanghai Wukang Building with CG# (用CG的方式打开上海武康大楼) gained over 67 million views and sparked 34K discussions. Similarly, on Douyin, China’s TikTok, the accompanying video under the same hashtag attracted numerous users who left comments. Netizens expressed their enthusiasm, noting, “Now I don’t have to join the crowds to visit iconic landmarks; I can simply view them on my mobile phone, which is even cooler.”
Last year, beauty brand Maybelline also utilised CG technology to produce an innovative advertisement in London. The advert featured curly lashes sprouting from the heads of tubes and buses, each brushed with Maybelline’s latest ‘Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara’ as they passed specific stops. This visually captivating and interactive campaign garnered widespread attention on the internet.
