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During the recent winter season, Nailong, a round, chubby and playful character with a love for food, captured the hearts of many individuals in Hong Kong. Throughout the Christmas period, this cheerful personality brought joy to attendees at Lok Fu Place’s Foodie Adventure event and elicited smiles from children at the Giant Bouncy Playground. As Chinese New Year approached, Nailong embraced the festivities, dressing up in celebratory attire and making appearances at Temple Mall and Choi Yuen Plaza. There, Nailong entertained visitors with whimsical poses at festive photo spots, creating memorable experiences filled with happiness.
Nailong is an original creation of Seventh Impression Culture Media (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., and its partnership with Link marks the beloved character’s official debut in Hong Kong. In an exclusive interview with Channel 823, Wilson Wang, the company’s Offline Licensing Director, discussed Nailong’s unique connection with Link and its significance to the Hong Kong community.
Nailong initially captured the hearts of viewers in early 2020 with the launch of its short video series on online platforms in Mainland China. Its endearing personality and positive outlook resonated strongly, swiftly attracting a dedicated following. Over the course of the last four years, Nailong has garnered an impressive fan base of more than 35 million individuals and accumulated more than 100 billion video views on platforms across the Mainland. “Our extensive fan base, continuous content creation and mature commercial strategies gave us the confidence to collaborate with Link and introduce this beloved character to Hong Kong,” said Wilson. “The campaign at Lok Fu Place from November 2023 to January 2024 was met with an instantaneous warm welcome. This gave our team further confidence to continue promoting Nailong’s profile across the city.”
Nailong, a youthful dinosaur originating from a distant alien realm, brings a unique perspective to Earth. In its animated homeland, Nailong confronts challenges and setbacks with humour and a cheerful demeanour. “We designed Nailong to embody optimism and happiness,” explains Wilson. “Hong Kong is a lively metropolis with rich cultural diversity. Many of the city’s films and television series incorporate comedic and whimsical elements. This distinctive humour of Hong Kong reflects a life philosophy that aligns perfectly with Nailong’s character, emphasising positivity and a proactive outlook that we want to inspire.”
The team regards Nailong’s experience in Hong Kong as a “successful adventure.” In the upcoming year, they hope to accompany fans, including those in Hong Kong, “on a path of adventure, growth and transformation, embracing a spirit of positivity, courage and innovation,” Wilson adds.
Additionally, Nailong has captured the attention and hearts of Hong Kong residents and served as a conduit for creative exchanges between Hong Kong and Mainland youth. “As the animation industry evolves, the Mainland’s original animation value chain, from production to commercialisation, is also maturing. We anticipate that more industry representatives will come to Hong Kong in the future.” Wilson highlighted that his team had the opportunity to engage with numerous young individuals in Hong Kong throughout the three campaigns hosted at Link’s shopping malls. Through these interactions, they gained valuable insights into the thoughts and preferences of the local youth. “We plan to learn from the successes of Hong Kong’s animation and inspire more creations that strike a chord with young people in both regions to foster interaction among animation enthusiasts. We also hope to invigorate the animation industries in the Mainland and Hong Kong through collaboration, integration and shared growth.”
On the partnership with Link, Wilson said, “We were aware that Link’s shopping malls are popular gathering spots for the community, and that Lok Fu Place, Temple Mall and Choi Yuen Plaza serve customers of all ages. Choosing these venues to introduce Nailong definitely boosted our touchpoints with the Hong Kong public. We hope to hold many more exciting offline events in Hong Kong in the future.”
