You won’t see any mention of the term ‘hing jouk’ ­ meaning to celebrate ­ in any of the Chinese advertising and promotions launched in time for the upcoming handover of Hong Kong to China.

At least that’s the opinion of Loretta Lam of Focus Communications in Markham, Ont. ‘For some people, (the handover) might not be a positive issue,’ she says, adding that the more sensitive term ‘gailim’ ­ to commemorate ­ is the one she recommends to clients.

According to figures supplied by the Chinese Canadian Advertising, Marketing & Media Association (ccamma), there are 600,000 Chinese-Canadians across the country, most of them eager to tune into the historic event.

And, sensitivities aside, advertisers have leapt at the opportunity the handover represents. ‘Demand was way over supply,’ says Tina Chow, director of marketing and sales for Fairchild Television, Canada’s largest Chinese cable tv service.

However, Fairchild ­ with stations in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria, and radio stations in both Toronto and Vancouver ­ only very recently signed on the last sponsor. Chow says despite the fact the network was out pitching opportunities early this year, advertisers were slow to catch on to the importance of the event. But, once they did, there was no turning back.

Fairchild, which boasts 400,000 viewers nationally, offered an extensive package including spots during four pre-handover documentaries (with ftv news crews in Hong Kong) throughout the month of June and during the nightly news updates, along with spots and billboards for the network’s 18-hour coverage (in affiliation with Hong Kong station tvb) of the ceremony.

Both Air Canada and Toronto-Dominion Bank signed on as national advertisers while six more sponsors were accepted in each of ftv’s markets, says Chow.

She says the advertising was limited to eight sponsors because of the seriousness of the event. ‘We hate to abuse it,’ she says, adding that the temptation towards greed ­ or ‘shaking the money tree,’ as the Chinese call it ­ had to be avoided with an event like this.

Terry O’Connor, president of Chinese ad agency Terry O Communications in Toronto, agrees. ‘It would be a real probem if someone took a crass marketing approach,’ he says, adding that sensitivity when dealing with someone’s homeland will pay off. O’Connor says he’s seen a lot of advertising that plays up patriotism ­ a natural hook which casts a positive light on the event.

Bell Canada seems to have tried to strike just that note with its special edition QuickChange Cards. The cards, on sale for the first time during the Dragon Boat Races in Toronto, June 21, come in a set of two ­ one $5 and one $10 ­ that, when placed beside each other, complete the famous Hong Kong skyline as seen from the harbor. The cards also feature a picture of deceased Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. The choice of Deng is a controversial one, considreing his much criticized role in the Tiananmen Square massacre. No one from Bell was available for comment.

But Patrick Fong, president and creative director of Can-Asian Advertising in Toronto, says that the former leader is a national hero to a lot of Chinese people. ‘Most people tend to forget the little mistake (Tiananmen) that Deng Xiaoping did,’ he says, adding that, although Deng ‘mismanaged the June 4 incident,’ people still revere him for his economic reforms. He says Deng’s movie star quality can only help with the collectibility of the cards. ‘It’s patriotism in the romantic sense.’

The sets are part of Bell’s Collector’s Club and so are sold in limited edition around the world, according to a Bell spokesperson.

While some advertisers sponsored promotions around the event, others have opted for traditional spot buys. General Motors, for example, has taken three 30-second spots and customized them for the Chinese market.

Jeannie Simmons, advertising manager for the Oshawa, Ont.-based car company, says that the only reference to repatriation is the tag line, which states: ‘Witnessing Hong Kong’s return to China with you.’

The spots, originally created by MacLaren McCann, were translated into Cantonese by Crimson Advertising in Unionville, Ont.

Meanwhile, The Royal Canadian Mint, for the first time in its history, has launched a Hong Kong coin, which is said to commemorate the repatriation.