For the third consecutive year Hotel Royal Chiaohsi in Yilan, Taiwan, is collaborating with Ogilvy Taiwan on a branded theme campaign. This year, they aim to turn the pandemic-driven tourism crisis into an opportunity for inspiration, with the “Farewell in Poems and Salt” festival.
Employing the literary powers of 12 contemporary Taiwanese poets, the festival integrates online and offline poetry events, including three themed Poetry Rooms at Hotel Royal Chiaohsi. It encourages everyone to use words and actions to overcome the negativity that has consumed the hospitality industry this year and to welcome a brighter, healthier new year.
Hotel Royal Chiaohsi’s goal is that visitors will say goodbye to a troubled 2020 with a rite of purification. In traditional Taiwanese culture, salt is believed to remove bad luck and purify the soul. In the modern era, it’s known that salt also removes excess keratin, a source of aging, from the body.
“Even though 2020 has been a difficult year, we’re infusing the spaces of our hotel with the world’s most powerful source of encouragement—poems,” said Winston Shen, CEO of the Hotel Royal Group and General Manager of Hotel Royal Chiaohsi.
“We’re thrilled with the privilege of gathering together with all the poets and welcoming people to the hotel to experience the fantasy journey of ‘Farewell in Poems and Salt’ at the Hotel Royal Chiaohsi Poetry Festival!”
12 poets and Hotel Royal Chiaohsi
Believing that 2020 needs to be rung out with a touch of class, Hotel Royal Chiaohsi has joined together with 12 poets: Hung Hung (Yen Hung-Ya), Ho Ching-Chwang, Peifen Hsu, Yu Kwang-Chung, Hsiang Yang, Song Shang-Wei, Lin Wan-Yu, Tsao Ni, Pan Bo Lin, Ren Ming-Hsin, Luo Zhi-Cheng, and Zheng Chouyu.
The overarching thematic elements are the healing image of salt and the need to say goodbye. On December 20th, Hotel Royal Chiaohsi’s official Facebook page began publishing 12 countdown poems, one poem per day through the end of the year.
A poetry festival with no restrictions in space
During the festival period, travelers’ can enjoy a limited poetry exhibition in the reading corridor of Hotel Royal Chiaohsi, while poetic messages of farewell designed by Ogilvy Taiwan can be found throughout the entire holiday experience: on the shuttle bus to the hotel, in the hotel restaurant, and in unexpected places throughout the property.
The poetry festival is; however, not confined to the premises of Hotel Royal Chiaohsi. On the “Farewell in Poems and Salt” festival website, visitors can read the 12 “salty” poems of parting and also interact digitally to learn how to create their own farewell poems.
Hotel Royal Chiaohsi is joining with Taiwan’s most popular poetry community, Goodnight Poem (Facebook, Instagram), calling on everyone to submit their own original poems as part of the festival.
Themed Poetry Rooms
The Poetry Festival at Hotel Royal Chiaohsi includes three contemporary Taiwanese poets—Hung Hung (Yen Hung-Ya), Ho Ching-Chwang and Peifen Hsu—who created their own unique expressions in three specially designed theme rooms:
Hung Hung (Yen Hung-Ya): “Melody Nourishes the Soul”
Vinyl records, turntables, classical music, and jazz. Experience the world of art.
Ho Ching-Chwang: “The Everyday Span between Brush and Ink”
With her renowned original calligraphy and poems, the artist expresses her love for her hometown and reminds guests, “everyone has a child inside them.”
Peifen Hsu: “Nocturnal Animal Fantasy.”
A deconstruction and exposé of the nocturnal poet, a discovery of sleepless nights, and a celebration of the darkness.
The package includes two meals, special salty cocktails, and a limited-edition “Farewell in Poems and Salt” poetry gift box, including a “not-for-sale” book of poetry and bath salts to wash away a terrible year.
The event will run from now until February 7.
Credits
Agency: Ogilvy Taiwan
Group Creative Director & Head of Social: EJ Chiang
Senior Digital Art Director: YiShiun Chen
Copywriter: Szhui Liu, Harper Chuang
Video Production: Morning Rain Studio
Photography: Henry Wang/ Ogilvy Taiwan
