MTR taps Raymond Lam to bridge nostalgia and progress in playful campaign

MTR Corporation has unveiled a new brand campaign, "Building the future today", blending pop culture nostalgia and storytelling to make future infrastructure more relatable to Hongkongers.

While residents are aware of MTR’s ongoing expansion, many find it difficult to envision how new lines will impact their lives. The campaign uses a lighthearted yet imaginative approach to bridge that gap, illustrating how tomorrow’s railway improvements will enhance daily life, connectivity, and community.

At the heart of the campaign is a playful homage to Hong Kong’s beloved TVB drama "A Step into the Past" (尋秦記), starring Raymond Lam. The singer-actor reprises his role as the “emperor” who travels through time. Not to ancient China this time, but into Hong Kong’s future, where he discovers new MTR stations and their impact on everyday commuters.

Representing the everyman, Lam’s character experiences firsthand how MTR’s new railway projects, such as the Northern Link and Kwu Tung Station, bring greater convenience, efficiency, and connection to city life.

Karen Woo, general manager of branding and communications at MTR Corporation, explained to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the campaign’s creative direction was intentional in tapping into pop culture to make infrastructure engaging and relevant. “While many people know that MTR is continuously expanding its network, it can be hard to imagine how these developments will improve daily life. By borrowing familiar themes from local dramas and urban legends, we wanted to create a bridge between nostalgia and progress, making the future of MTR something people can emotionally connect with today,” she said.

Woo added that the marketing strategy combines edutainment with emotional storytelling to humanise complex engineering projects. “The idea was to shift perceptions of railway development from something distant or abstract to something personal and meaningful. Through humour, imagination and the warmth of local culture, 'Building the future today' shows that our work isn’t just about building railways. It’s about building lives, connections, and possibilities,” she shared.

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The two-part mini-drama series follows Lam’s “emperor” as he encounters characters like a student enjoying shorter commutes thanks to the Tuen Ma and East Rail Lines. The story is peppered with playful nods to "A Step into the Past", including puns on the line names. Lam, as an olden-day emperor, refers to the Tuen Ma line (屯馬) as a “good horse” and the East Rail Line (東鐵) as “a powerful sword” (好一把東鐵).

As the emperor journeys further into the future, he meets a grown-up version of a boy from a classic Hong Kong commercial, now able to travel easily to play football even in the rain. The playful twist comes at Kwu Tung (古洞), where Lam expects to find a cave for shelter, only to discover the new Kwu Tung Station, seamlessly connecting the East Rail Line and Northern Link.

Beyond the new film from MTR, the campaign spans television, social media, digital platforms, and outdoor advertising. An unbranded teaser mirroring a movie trailer format was used to generate buzz before the reveal. The initiative was developed by DDB Group Hong Kong in partnership with MTR’s media agency, WPP Media (Mindshare).

“MTR is entering a new phase of railway construction. Several of our new railway projects are advancing in full swing, and we expect this new infrastructure will certainly benefit the public by bringing families and friends closer together,” said Woo. “This campaign highlights how each new railway project creates ripples of opportunity, linking communities and unlocking potential throughout the city in a playful and engaging manner. We remain committed to building the future today.”

Episode one of "Building the future today" is now streaming on MTR’s website, social media, and selected online platforms, with the finale set to debut on 23 October.

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