The Taichung International Dance Parade & Festival, first launched in 2016 by the Taichung Tourism Bureau, celebrates the joy of movement and cross-cultural exchange through an energetic and inclusive urban festival. Drawing inspiration from Japan’s dynamic parade traditions, the event transforms the streets of Taichung into a massive open-air stage, filled with rhythm, colour and youth. Participating performers include local university and high school dance troupes, as well as award-winning international teams from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia.

To capitalise on this vibrant festival as a travel attraction, a series of themed tours was introduced in 2017 and 2018 to attract Hong Kong travellers to participate as audience members, supporters, or simply cultural explorers. The aim was to promote not just the dance event itself, but also the broader cultural, historical and recreational appeal of Taichung and its surrounding regions.

The core challenge of this project was to distil the high-energy, visually dynamic nature of a dance parade into printed and digital marketing formats that could clearly communicate both the itinerary and emotional appeal of the tour. While most traditional travel advertisements rely on static visuals of landmarks or resorts, this campaign needed to evoke a sense of motion, rhythm, celebration and cultural connection.

Another complexity was the multi-format requirement. The promotional material was not limited to a single channel. The tour package needed visibility across multiple platforms:

• Newspaper and magazine advertisements
• Flyers distributed at exhibitions and tourism events
• HTML e-newsletters sent to the organiser’s existing customer base
• Printed itineraries and tour guides
• Large-scale tour banners for booths and public displays

Visually, the design needed to be vibrant and celebratory, yet also structured and easy to read. We anchored the creative direction on several key elements:

• Bright colour palettes: dominant hues included rich purples, fuchsia, energetic reds, and golds, inspired by both festival lights and traditional Asian celebration motifs.
• Dynamic shapes and lines: we incorporated wave forms, sweeping brushstrokes, and rhythmic patterns to suggest movement, mirroring the flow of dance.
• Typography: headers used expressive, modern typefaces to inject a sense of joy and vitality, while body text remained clean and legible for practical reading.

Each layout made strategic use of event photography, including past parades showing dancers mid-performance, crowd reactions, and festive night lighting. These visuals were enhanced with overlays, framing elements, and caption blocks to provide context and maintain brand cohesion across formats.

The flyer and print ads prioritised catchy headlines and succinct tour highlights, aiming to quickly capture attention at high-footfall venues such as expos or public travel showcases. Bullet-pointed itineraries and pricing were formatted clearly, while key selling points, such as access to exclusive performances or backstage passes, were emphasised in colour blocks or badges.

For the e-newsletter, we adopted a more narrative approach. Content included:

• A short introduction to the cultural significance of the parade
• The role of Taichung as a vibrant city destination
• Detailed descriptions of side attractions (such as Sun Moon Lake, Rainbow Village, and night markets)
• High-resolution visuals embedded in a scrollable, mobile-friendly layout
• Embedded links to booking platforms and enquiry forms

The tour itinerary was designed for dual use. As a customer handout and as a tool for travel agents. It combined visual maps with a structured daily breakdown, using icons to represent meal inclusions, transport methods, and highlight spots.

The marketing materials were rolled out over two years and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the client and customers. Booths featuring the banners and flyers saw increased foot traffic at tourism fairs, while the e-newsletter campaigns had above-average open rates and direct enquiries. Schools and dance enthusiasts were especially responsive, drawn in by the unique opportunity to witness youth-led international cultural performances.

Most importantly, the tour helped cement the Taichung International Dance Parade as a key feature in the cultural tourism calendar for Hong Kong-based travellers, turning a city festival into a fully packaged and beautifully promoted travel experience.