Creative Minds: Edward Cheung was lured into advertising by catchy TV jingles

Name: Edward Cheung

Place of origin: Hong Kong

Places lived and worked: Hong Kong, Australia, Shanghai

Pronouns: He/him

CV:

• Freelance creative director, October 2024 - Present
• Saatchi & Saatchi (PG One), Shanghai, associate creative director, March 2024 - September 2024
• Dentsu Creative (Mcgarrybowen), Shanghai, associate creative director, July 2020 - December 2023
• Oliver Agency, Shanghai, creative group head, October 2018 - June 2020

1. How did you end up being a creative?

This might sound weird, but as a kid, I wasn’t hooked on anime intros or dramatic TV soundbites—it was those catchy TV commercial jingles that hijacked my brain. In secondary school, I took visual arts and did an HKCEE project exploring how advertising connects with the city. After that, the path to become a creative felt natural. I joined HK PolyU’s new design (advertising) programme, graduated, and jumped straight into Chris Kyme’s startup agency as the first creative hire—assistant art director.

2. What’s your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

 ‘Lost in Time’ for Jian Ai. It is what we call a passion project. Through the course of our research, we were blown away by the clocks drawn by Alzheimer’s patients—they were so unsettling. We figured it would hit the public just as hard and so created a campaign with shocking visuals, hoping people would remember and care about the disease.

Winning at the Cannes Lions was awesome, but the real win was seeing people post about it on Red Note, out of nowhere. One last bit of trivia: After we came up with the idea, we spent a lot of time trying to find a partner to help us land it, while simultaneously worrying about the possibility of seeing a similar new campaign. And then we found STDecaux.

3. What’s your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

School’s Out for Nintendo Gamecube by Leo Burnett. Back in secondary school, I was walking to class one sunny morning when a film crew stopped me. Some guys were running across a rain shelter on a government building, and I thought, 'Oh, cool, a movie shoot.' There were no big stars though, so I forgot about it. Then, years later in university, I saw the Nintendo ad, and that random memory clicked into place. It was that shoot! Honestly, I don’t just wish I’d made it. I wish I’d been in it, sprinting to grab a new game. Oh, and yes, the Switch 2 is coming soon!

4. What is on your bucket list?

Flying a plane solo. I’ve tried it with a coach in New Zealand and Australia, sitting in the captain’s seat, and it was incredible. But going up on my own? That’s the big goal.

5. Who’s on your dream dinner guest list (alive or dead)?

Chua Lam. I’d be guaranteed an exceptional meal, right? Plus, hearing his stories about the traditions behind each dish would be a feast for both my stomach and mind.

6. What’s the last song/artist you listened to?

Kaiju by Sakanaction. It is the opening theme song for the anime ‘Orb: On the Movements of the Earth’ and I love the lyrics. They are about chasing truth and wisdom, even if it turns you into a monster. My favourite lines are: ‘This world is conveniently imperfect, so I want to know.’ It pushes me to keep asking questions and stay curious.

7. What’s your favorite music / film / TV show / book / other of the past year, and why?

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle. I am a big fan of Haikyu, like people from a generation before felt about Slam Dunk. In this latest movie, everyone should not miss the scene where the volleyball is at the centre, and everything spins around it during a match. It blew my mind and you’ve got to see it!

8. Tell us about an artist (any medium) that we’ve never probably heard of.

Wang Xiaoshuang. He is a friend, and I own one of his paintings. His work is awesome, and I’d love more people to know about him. Partly so my painting is worth more some day!

9. What’s your favourite GIF/meme and why?

As creatives, we are kind of two-faced: we help brands communicate, but we are also just regular consumers and netizens. We have to stay sharp to avoid being too indulgent about our own ideas. We have to wear different hats from time to time—in this case, a pineapple hat. But then, I wouldn’t want to wear the same pineapple hat as the lame ones.

10. What’s your guilty pleasure?

Soaking myself in a nice onsen in Japan. That’s an experience I cannot share easily but always want to share, especially with my family. That dilemma makes me feel guilty.

11. iPhone or Android?

My use of iPhone is simply because everyone around me uses one and my Mac doesn’t really let me escape its ecosystem. I always want to use a slick Xperia for my daily life, even though there is a saying, ‘All Androids are rubbish, except the Sony ones; they are beautiful rubbish.’