SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 1977
+HAPPY WAGON+ DRIVES HOME MESSAGES
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MOST VEHICLES OF ITS AGE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SCRAPPED, BUT THIS +LORRY+, WITH A NEW ENGINE AND A COLOURFUL BODY, IS STILL ON ACTIVE DUTY CONVEYING MESSAGES TO THE PUBLIC.
FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MOBILE THEATRE UNIT IN THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN OCTOBER 1974, A LORRY WAS CONVERTED INTO A MOBILE THEATRE. SINCE THEN, IT HAS TRAVELLED THOUSANDS OF MILES TO GET CAMPAIGN MESSAGES ACROSS TO PEOPLE ALL OVER HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE MOBILE THEATRE, BETTER KNOWN AS THE HAPPY WAGON+ AMONG ITS AUDIENCE, IS A RELATIVELY NEW FORM OF PROMOTION VEHICLE TO SUPPLEMENT CONVENTIONAL MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION, SUCH AS THE PRESS, RADIO AND TELEVISION.
IT AIMS TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO PEOPLE THROUGH LIVE ENTERTAINMENT.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLICITY THROUGH SUCH A MEDIUM HAS BEEN PROVEN IN A SURVEY CONDUCTED LAST SUMMER. THE RESULT OF THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT 86.5 PER CENT OF THE 400 PEOPLE INTERVIEWED THOUGHT IT HAD SUCCESSFULLY CONVEYED THE CAMPAIGN MESSAGES WHILE 91.5 PER CENT OF THEM SAID THEY COULD STILL REMEMBER THE THEME OF THE SHOW.
THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK, MOSTLY IN THE EVENINGS, THE MOBILE THEATRE, BEDECKED WITH EYE-CATCHING DECORATIONS, BANNERS AND POSTERS, ARRIVES AT VARIOUS PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, HOUSING ESTATES, OPEN AREAS OR BEACHES WITH MESSAGES OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY.
AT PRESENT, THE UNIT HAS ABOUT 60 LOCATIONS ON ITS VISITING LIST, AND ON AVERAGE THESE PLACES ARE VISITED ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS. AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL TALENTS ARE REGULARLY INVITED TO PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT, USUALLY POP SONGS, FOLK MUSIC, DANCES, ACROBATICS, MAGIC OR PUPPET SHOWS, AND DRAMA GEARED TO THE CAMPAIGN.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MOBILE THEATRE UNIT SAID: +SOMETIMES MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO GO ON STAGE TO HAVE A LITTLE CHAT WITH THE COMPERE OR JUST SIMPLY TO AIR THEIR OPINION. WHATEVER THEIR STANDARDS MAY BE, THEY COULD CHOOSE TO SHOW OFF THE IR TALENTS RIGHT THERE.+
BUT BEFORE THE SHOW STARTS OR DURING INTERVALS, THE CAMPAIGN MESSAGES ARE DELIVERED BY THE COMPERE. AT THE SAME TIME, PUBLICITY LEAFLETS, PAMPHLETS, STICKERS OR OTHER FORMS OF GIVE-AWAY ITEMS ARE DISTRIBUTED.
IN
DEPENDING ON TIME OF THE DAY, WEATHER, LOCATION AND TYPE OF ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED, AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 600 PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO EVERY SHOW. THE BEST RESPONSE, HOWEVER, COMES FROM RESIDENTS THE NEW TERRITORIES WHO FIND +HAPPY WAGON+ PROGRAMMES FRESH AND INTERESTING.
/SINCE ITS