Asking me -- does Taiwan need people coming here from America, Europe, Hong Kong or other places in order to achieve its abilities? I will say no. Can Taiwan improve by having people coming from Bangkok and other places? Absolutely.
But is it a necessity -- and a necessary ingredient to get to the next stage? I don't think so, for the reasons I said before -- that you have so many people who studied overseas and lived overseas.
TT: But the fact is that local creativity is not recognized worldwide ...
Fay: It is a point of contention with me that creative capability in Taiwan is not widely known and respected. I have a great respect for all the work that's going out the door from all the advertising agencies in Taiwan. But the fact is that they are not getting noticed enough. I think it is because a lack of internationalism on the part of people outside Taiwan.
Actually, I lived in Japan for many years and I know that a lot of Japanese advertising doesn't get noticed, either. So there's a big blind spot when it comes to Asian creativity right now. Bangkok is a different story. It is now the creativity capital of Asia, and the biggest news in the world of advertising is Bangkok and Brazil.
To me, the advertisements done in Bangkok and Brazil are the same as they have always been. What's different is that people are noticing more of the work done there than before.
TT: Back to your profession. What's the reason for advertising? Is it different from what it used to be?
Fay: People used to think that the one and only purpose for advertising was to sell. But that doesn't make any sense. If you already bought a car, what's the point of advertising a Lexus automobile to you?
Just because you do a commercial does not mean everybody is going to say: That's it. I'm buying a new car right now. It doesn't work that way. There's a difference between advertising that says "please buy me" and advertising that says "Thank you for making you part of my life."
The advertising that is getting the most attention in the world these days tends to be advertising that says "thank you," that tends to be savvy and touch people -- whether they buy the product or not.
Advertising, after all, is a statement from the owner of the brand to its constituents, be they the brand's direct consumers or potential consumers. But to have advertising that is entertaining and also achieves its business goals, it is great and tells you something about the company.
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