OREANDA-NEWS. June 16, 2015. The Information Office of Shanghai Municipality launches their new Shanghai City global promotion campaign, "Shanghai. Let's Meet!" at Expo Milano 2015. The launch phase of the campaign will run from June 9-18th as part of the Expo in Citta program of the 2015 Expo Milano.

The city campaign was developed to amplify a new modern vision of Shanghai, boost its cultural influence, and communicate its true emotional identity. The campaign slogan, "Shanghai. Let's Meet!," was shaped from Shanghai's rich heritage as a place of cultural convergence.

Zhu Yonglei, Director General of Shanghai Information Office, said "Shanghai has always been open to the world. Our city has such a rich history of intersecting cultures and perspectives, which still remains true today. We believe that amazing things happen when these perspectives and cultures meet and that's what we want to champion through this new global campaign."

The campaign launch will focus on four initial themes: architecture (Shanghai. Where Architecture Meets.), cuisine (Shanghai. Where Cuisine Meets.), design (Shanghai. Where Design Meets.) and fashion (Shanghai. Where Fashion Meets.).

Launch phase of the "Shanghai. Let's Meet!" campaign is supported by a series of robust events and partnerships. The focal point will be Shanghai's "City Impression" exhibition in the City Pavilion Sino-Italian Center of Expo Milano, open to the public in the city center, at Duca D'Aosta Square. This pavilion will host photos and designs curated by Alan Chan and Yann Debelle de Montby, inspired by the campaign concept. On June 10th, an opening ceremony will take place, unveiling the city campaign and exhibition. Through partnership with Milano Municipality, the campaign is bolstered throughout the city through outdoor ads and radio. Furthering the campaign is a Super Pixel Picture of Shanghai for audiences around the world to interact digitally.

Quotations from Zhu Yonglei, Director General of Shanghai Information Office
"This campaign launch could not have been possible without the support of all our partners and, of course, our good friends in Milan. Through a like-minded vision for the beauty of Shanghai, we have created a global platform that truly represents everything the city has to offer."

"We invite you to experience why Shanghai is 'where we meet.' The city's rich history of intersecting cultures still remains true today, and it is this spirit that has given rise to today's progress. Our campaign launch in Milan is the first step to bringing Shanghai's unique character to life."

Milan Initiatives

The Expo in Citta City Pavilion and Exhibition
The "Shanghai. Let's Meet!" exhibition will be available to view at the City Pavilion Sino-Italian Center erected at Duca D'Aosta Square, one of Milan's busiest thoroughfares. The pop-up pavilion is an Expo in Citta initiative, which has been designed to host selected cities and brands from China and Italy, encouraging cultural exchange in public space. The pavilion's architecture, designed by Vudafieri Saverino Partners, draws inspiration from an Italian house and stages a showroom, living room and VIP food area. Shanghai is the first city to take up residency of the space and will use it as the main stage for the unveiling of the new global brand campaign. 

Designers Alan Chanand Yann Debelle de Montby were selected to contribute to the exhibition space based on their strong ties to Shanghai. With "Shanghai. Let's Meet!" as their inspiration, the designers each curate a room to communicate their stories and personal connections to the city.

Chan curates the pavilion fa?ade and the public showroom, which acts as the main foyer in the pavilion. He debuts his Shanghai inspired "S Chairs," which represents East and West, Past and Present, Classic and Contemporary, Craftsmanship and Technology, Men and Women, and the Ying and Yang.

Debelle de Montby designs the exhibition's "living room space," in a concept inspired by the moon to express "Shanghai by night" and "Shanghai by day." Filling it with an assortment of Chinese antiques and modern-day curiosities, the room visually transports viewers from Milan to the city of Shanghai. In a special collaboration with Shanghai Watches, Debelle de Montby will also display the "Moon Watch" -- a capsule collection of timepieces inspired by "Shanghai. Let's Meet!"

360-Degree Rotunda
Alongside the pavilion, a Rotunda installation will be erected to showcase an ultra high-definition 360-degree panoramic view of Shanghai. The aerial images, which were taken from inside a helicopter, will provide the public with a realistic glimpse of Shanghai's burgeoning skyline from Milan's city center.

Opening Ceremony & Forum
An opening ceremony will be held on June 10 that the Hotel Gallia, with key members of the Shanghai Municipality and Milano Municipality, and officials from UN, UNESCO, UN Habitat, BIE, etc. in attendance.

A special signing ceremony between the Jing'an District Shanghai and Zone One Milano will also take place, binding the two as official sister zones. Famous for fashion, design, culture and tourism, these two districts will encourage future cooperation between Italian and Chinese enterprises, creating a stable link between Milan and Shanghai as emerging capitals of creativity and design.

A forum under the theme of "World Expo and Urban Development" will follow the opening ceremony. City officials, designers, artists and business leaders at the forefront of their fields will run a panel discussion on "Design to Live Together" as the main theme.

Shanghai Manual
The second edition of Shanghai Manual will also be launched on June 10th, as a collaborative effort by the United Nationals Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China (MOHURD) and Shanghai Municipal People's Government. The Shanghai Manual collects cases of success stories and best practices of urban sustainable development from around the world to preserve the spirit and legacy of Expo 2010 Shanghai and promote the objectives of HABITAT III and Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Campaign Maximization in Milan
Through the close sister-cityhood between Shanghai and Milano, the campaign will be communicated across broadcast and outdoor initiatives across Milan. The "Shanghai. Let's Meet!" creative takes over Milan's key public spaces throughout June. In addition, two of Italy's biggest radio stations, Milan FM89.8 and Rome FM89.5, will also host a special "Shanghai Radio Week" to coincide with the program.

Digital Activation - Shanghai Super Pixel Picture
Audiences are able to view Shanghai up-close with the Shanghai Super Pixel Picture, which digitally displays a 195giga pixel image of the city from the Oriental Pearl Tower, covering a 10km radius. The image constitutes a 360-degree panoramic photograph of Shanghai, with zoom-function to view street level at high resolution. Selected celebrities and citizens have collaborated on the project to map out their unique Shanghai experiences, sharing their stories for why Shanghai is "where we meet." The H5 panorama will be shared on social media through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Weibo, Wechat and Email.