They may not have super strength, tragic backstories, or sweet high-tech gadgets, but Hong Kong’s universe of municipal mascots does have the power to motivate Hongkongers to look after their city — or something.
At least, so officials appear to hope, anyway.
Like most of the world, Hongkongers have been waiting with bated breath for Avengers: Endgame, which promises to bring to a conclusion (for now) the most successful film mega-franchise ever CGI’ed into existence. In an apparent attempt to piggyback off of the enormous hype surrounding the film’s release today, seven government agencies last night changed their Facebook banner photos to an Avengers-style poster featuring a line-up of their mascots, apparently joining forces to save Hong Kong from everything from litter to inaccurate weather updates.
The agencies also posted individual photos of their respective heroes looking tough (at least, as tough as something that resembles an upside-down poop emoji is capable of looking), along with mini-mission statements encouraging Hongkongers to do the right thing. Or whatever. It’s unclear. The message is kind of beside the point — they’re just hilarious.
Anyone
https://www.facebook.com/hkfsd.gov.hk/posts/2776696639069194?__xts__[0]=68.ARA09Y1AmrhTm83rq55Cazg_lLzZFpfOqz-zgzGtWaxDLd6BHmZu6TqZFV72GWT9uONyXbITxiZH63SaFUr3qIUyUkN6uGNteZYxoIUfWKF4FCIILv51Bh1K44DApBOmztWjhiNyN8myJdCLU8GpxPWQMdfQuS99guryayrvCAHawA8MOgQveoF1BQzKBMrEFjT-uUWoShzqSTxxVrTQxAaKrQsdTWgjLoZQhPZkFFWdS9OGCpYlhNT52k-Ar95xG9QqghzRKDPeXbQQ8wXMqN3MMLaTicnGRwSBd_ua4uAuHx1b4WmSsVeRtVc6wZUBbjhCMhclzECMvy5SPTvH_vmLAWey&__tn__=-R
The undisputed leader of Hong Kong’s super-squad would certainly be everyone’s favorite gimp-suited humanoid, Anyone, who combines the selfless (literally) commitment to duty of Captain America with the adorable incomprehensibility of Baby Groot. The Fire Services Department mascot has spawned much confusion, a flurry of memes, and plenty of ad campaigns since he (she? it?) was revealed last year, but has since become a beloved public figure.
According to the FSD’s Facebook post, “Anyone doesn’t know how to fly, doesn’t have super strength, nor does he have super healing powers! But he’s brave, and has very strong emergency response capabilities.”
Ah Tak
https://www.facebook.com/cleanhongkong/photos/a.234268586959939/812553795798079/?type=3&theater
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s (FEHD) non-fire-breathing dragon Ah Tak joins the roster with the mission of making sure Hongkongers don’t litter, which, naturally, is an issue near and dear to dragons.
“Cleaning, is my mission; Hong Kong is my home. One person’s power is limited, but together Hongkongers are invincible. Starting today, let’s #AssembleForHongKong. As long as were united, I believe Hong Kong will become a better place.”
Mr. B
https://www.facebook.com/hkbf.hk/photos/a.1255865964439662/3240305405995698/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCCOdhf7xl9VmyqxNsNEphL9JyEuMtM8kOWYOKTCA69Uxb78a-4TzYAczCrTec5Mp8GcUbigTXKha0h4_uiqlfp3Tsn3pAaU9HdIA1TPLnXVxeb9UwTkfdGi_HTrYECV_wJ3WHDat26JqvnyJfScsdZYSYz5FFUZfL3uMLNv_YC_U19bGB13b3wZa_G1TrydRsmWMb8-ybz-q5Wc_kZfaZgjoO4mGbr_TxDymfb5fijGu8o3kQMfU4qfxD9rCX8e-ke_hdcosP1NFsbS90NRx81tH-F1pVdTz95YPEa5fTTzIZTgkHfaBMM7nJDYm7YacttI_Zp6ES1Vvsh5GWIAZKy6VUF&__tn__=-R
Over at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, you’d think they’d have a number of animal-related mascots to choose from (may we suggest a wild boar, perhaps). But the AFCD opted instead for Mr. B, a cylindrical thingamabob who resembles either a toy for toddlers or a many-eyed stack of sentient symbotic jujubes depending on how you look at it.
Mr. B’s calling is encouraging people to preserve and protect the city’s natural surrounds, as evidenced by his rather fatalistic call to arms: “The nature has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to conserve our biodiversity.”
Water Save Dave
https://www.facebook.com/watersavedave.hk/photos/a.1753533064928586/2307094206239133/?type=3&theater
The Water Supplies Department’s anthropomorphic water droplet Water Save Dave unfortunately doesn’t have the ability to manipulate water, but he does have the power to encourage people to use less of it. (Feels kinda self-serving given that he is water, but hey, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.)
“Every drop should be cherished,” he sternly intones. “We need to work together to conserve water.”
Big Waster
https://www.facebook.com/bigwaster.hk/photos/a.864391620239466/2927358033942804/?type=3&theater
The Environmental Protection Department’s job is to co-ordinate and carry out pollution prevention and control activities, and their mascot Big Waster, an orange-brown, uhhh, turd cyclone(?) was created to encourage Hongkongers to reduce waste by using fewer plastic straws and not heaping their plates with more food than they need. (The conceit, by the way, is that his eyes are bigger than his stomach, since that was the obviously the first thought that leapt into absolutely no one’s head.)
The fecal associations prompted by Big Waster’s appearance certainly aren’t dispelled by his tagline: “Dump less, save more.”
Dr. Tin
https://www.facebook.com/hk.observatory/photos/a.1635879299836036/2155175911239703/?type=3&theater
A super-squad just wouldn’t be complete without a couple of lame humans (we’re looking at you Hawkeye and Black Widow), and the Hong Kong mascot team is no different. Enter Dr. Tin, a nerd who personifies the Hong Kong Observatory’s values: to Serve, Care, Innovate, Enthuse, Nurture, Collaborate, and Excel. (Psst! The first letters spell out ‘science.’ Get it?) Placing an emphasis on getting information from a reliable source, the blue-haired, baby-faced Dr. Tin uses his super smarts to make sure Hongkongers get the accurate meteorological updates they need.
Lazy Lion
https://www.facebook.com/lazylionhk/photos/a.251963822335068/343332809864835/?type=3&theater
Finally, we all know how smartphone-obsessed Hongkongers are, which frankly isn’t doing too much for their cardiovascular health. In a bid to encourage people to move more, the Centre for Health Protection unveiled Lazy Lion in December at the launch of their Healthy Hong Kong 2020 campaign aimed at getting Hongkongers to live more active lifestyles.
Lazy Lion, whose kryptonite is apparently barbecued pork buns and Netflix, is a pudgy lion and purported “anti-hero” who, like many of us, keeps making excuses not to get off his ass and go to the gym.
We’re not sure if Lazy Lion’s new Thor-like hammer (as seen above) has motivated him to change his habits, but hey, you’d probably work up a decent sweat swinging that thing around.
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