General Electric (GE) has been rolling-out its prestigious ‘ecomagination‘ initiative across the globe since 2005. According to the spiel on the GE Global website “ecomagination is a business strategy designed to drive innovation and the growth of profitable environmental solutions while engaging stakeholders“.
In China, the environment is a top priority. Pollution is a very visible issue in the Mainland – many tourists often arrive in Beijing and comment on the infamous polluted sky. It’s a big problem, but the Chinese Government is up for task and has set a goal for the country to get 15 percent of its total energy from renewable sources by 2020. This is a great opportunity for GE and the organisation has been focusing on building their presence in China and is hoping to cash-in on assisting the Government on meeting its commendable targets.
Returning back to ‘ecomagination’, the Chinese division of GE has created some imaginative print ads for the campaign that promote GE’s environmentally friendly products and services. They use Chinese wisdom (in the form of Chinese character fortune telling – known in Chinese as Chaizi – 拆字).
1. The Internal Combustion Engine
别人看到的是有机废料我们看到的是能发电发热的宝藏
“Where others only see organic waste, we see a treasure which can produce electricity and heat”
2. The Aeroplane Engine
每一次走过云端都为你带来财运
“Every time you go past the tops of clouds, it will bring you wealth”
3. Train Operation and Optimization System
减少油耗节省更多钞票
“Reduce fuel consumption, to save more money”
4. Wind Turbines
微风驱动科技发电效益飙升
“Power generation through wind-driven technology will make profits soar”
5. Water Solution
微风驱动科技发电效益飙升清洁水源祝你利市大吉
“A clean water supply will wish you a good fortune”
6. Coal Technology
用更洁净煤碳争来更多蓝天
“The cleaner the coal we use, the bluer the sky will be”
With thanks to Jinrui Zhang of the LSE Confucius Institute for assisting with the translations.
Just for fun
Alain Delorme, a photographer from Paris, has captured and adapted some fascinating photos of bicycle carriers in Shanghai as part of his Totems series. Click the images to enlarge:
