In today’s connected world, the price of a mistake — particularly within the realms of media — is higher than ever. This is something that the marketing team in charge of promoting upcoming sci-fi blockbuster “Arrival” discovered in the most striking way possible this week, as their carefully crafted poster campaign drew attention for all the wrong reasons.
Amongst other dramatic landscapes, one of the movie’s gargantuan, pebble-shaped spacecraft is pictured hovering ominously above the water in Hong Kong. However, against all odds, the most alien addition to this particular image is not a UFO: It is Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower, shifted some 1,226 kilometers (760 miles) south in a mystifying moment of geographic confusion.
© Alon Amir
The glaring error has caused consternation across social media, with thousands using the hashtag #HongKongIsNotChina to voice their disproval. While the blunder has caused anger amongst many, others have seen the funny side, pointing out the irony of “Arrival”’s tagline coupled with an unexpected cameo appearance of Shanghai’s iconic, pearl-shaped orbs: “Why Are They Here?” indeed.
Beyond the obvious absurdity of this — as one person tweeted, “Why don’t you put the Eiffel Tower in Rome, too?” — this architectural faux pas stretches far beyond geographical mixups. Many of Hong Kong’s residents took the error as an affront to their national identity at a time when political tension with China is especially high. Hong Kong is designated a “special administrative region” with relative autonomy from mainland China, but its citizens have protested at Beijing’s increasing influence over their territory in recent times, most notably during the 2014 Occupy movement.
Therein lies the lesson as it pertains to architecture: Buildings are intrinsically linked to politics, socioeconomics and cultural identity, whether we like it or not. It therefore follows that awareness of architectural history, both ancient and contemporary, is incredibly important to uphold, regardless of context. When we get it wrong, it is no surprise that people are incensed — their cities represent them in a fundamental way, with architecture acting as a symbol for the collective identity of entire nations.
Film production company Paramount blamed a third-party vendor for the error, and moved to correct the situation with an amended version of the poster. However, they have not satisfied the people of Hong Kong very much — rather than removing the Oriental Pearl Tower, the new poster sees Shanghai replace the entire of Hong Kong, leaving many in the city feeling marginalized.
Lesson for the day: Never stop learning about cities around the world, and be casual about buildings at your peril. If there is one thing we can all agree on, it is that an alien invasion is no excuse for architectural ignorance …