Taiwan Today

Jimmy Liao burst on the scene in 1998 with his illustrated books “A Fish with a Smile” and “Secrets in the Woods,” stories of life recounted through soft, colorful pictures tinged with magical realism. Since then the reclusive family man has produced many more great books, but through the efforts of businesswoman Lee Yu-san, his art and book characters have also been used to establish a line of branded products. Now the 51-year-old author-illustrator’s works have appeared on the stage and silver screen, and his art can be found on commercial products ranging from T-shirts and bedsheets to watches and expensive jewelry. The products have a large established Asian clientele, with increasing interest coming from Europe and North America. Lee, who worked with Liao at Grimm Press Ltd., publisher of some of his early books, saw the unique market potential of his art, and founded Jimmy S.P.A. Co. Ltd. in the millennium year to promote his works. “Jimmy” is Liao’s professional name, while S means “strategy,” P refers to “planning” and A signifies “authorization,” all thoroughly practiced in Lee’s creative business career. “I have always enjoyed Jimmy’s works, and I think they are potentially appealing to a wider audience than just readers of illustrated books,” Lee told “Taiwan Today.” Lee saw clearly that to introduce Jimmy’s works to more people, a good plan was needed. The company started first by licensing use of Jimmy’s creative images to local stationery and bedding firms. “We didn’t have enough capital to produce independent products of our own back then. Authorization was a great way to introduce Jimmy’s works to people, while collecting royalties to establish a more solid financial foundation for the company,” Lee explained. Standing firm on the basis of authorization, Lee later on tapped into the boutique market by developing co-branded products with Hong Kong-based Just Gold Co. Ltd. and City Chain Co. Ltd. “This was a step further, because in this way we not only had more right to decide how Jimmy’s works were used, we were also able to introduce an appealing brand image of Jimmy S.P.A. to the Asian market as a whole,” said Lee. The 2003 series of “Jimmy x Just Gold” accessories, along with the “Titus” watch, brought the characters in Jimmy’s stories into the market spotlight. But Lee aspired to give buyers more than just a casual display of the characters. In 2003, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. produced “Turn Left, Turn Right,” a film adapted from the bittersweet urban love story in Liao’s book “A Chance of Sunshine.” The next year, “The Sound of Colors,” a story about the imaginative adventures of a blind girl on the subway, was staged by the locally renowned theatrical group Creative Society. Both productions proved successful, with the movie jumping to the top of the premiere-week blockbuster list in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, and the theatrical production touring Asia with tickets sold out for nearly every performance. It was from these experiences that Lee realized the importance of storytelling. “Jimmy’s creative stories, whether in book, theatrical or cinematic form, were all well-received. I believe this narrative quality should be highlighted when promoting self-owned brand products, to distinguish them from less distinctive authorized or co-branded products,” Lee said. “Jimmy’s stories are such in-depth observations on the lonesome lives of modern people and subtle human relations that most audiences feel touched when they get to know the stories. For this reason they are more likely to love our own brand products, which not only present characters but also tell a story,” Lee said. “For example, a deck of our creative playing cards can offer more than card game fun. By mixing and matching the cards, users can savor Jimmy’s creative stories and even tell inspired stories of their own.” To promote and develop storytelling merchandise, Lee invited 14 artists in various fields to tell stories together in this year’s “The Starry Starry Night” exhibition at Huashan Cultural-Creative Park in Taipei, which received such a stunning number of visitors that the exhibition period has been extended twice, until Dec. 6. “Jimmy’s art has no limits. It can inspire others, help integrate different ideas and transform one’s thoughts into artistic products for daily use, and that’s what I think creative businesses should do,” Lee said. The work of Yi Wei-shen, design director of Afterain Design Studio, is a fine example. “Topsy-turvy,” a series of flower-shaped lamps hanging down from grass-covered ceilings, symbolizes the hopes that blossom in Jimmy’s latest illustrated book, which shares its title with the exhibition. In the meantime, the exhibition is being staged in Hong Kong, too. The outdoor display of Times Square will run until Boxing Day, and an indoor exhibition will continue until Jan. 6, 2010. “It is still hard to tell whether the exhibitions will help boost our sales, but at least we will gain much wider exposure, and I am confident that with the publicity, our clientele will expand,” Lee said. The product manager’s ambition, however, goes beyond exhibitions. She looks forward to establishing an art center with permanent exhibitions of the artist’s works in two years. “At the center, more artists will be invited to create inspired works that tell both Jimmy’s and their own stories. I plan to develop new products with the artists and sell them in the gift shop. In this way, both the company and the collaborating professionals will benefit and jointly expand their business horizons through storytelling.” Lee has not forgotten to help Jimmy tell his illustrated stories in their initial form—books—by arranging new book deals in the European and U.S. markets. “The Monster Who Ate Darkness,” a storybook illustrated by Jimmy, was written by popular British author Joyce Dunbar and published in 2008 by Candlewick Press in the United Kingdom. Jimmy S.P.A. has also started collaborating with American publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on the release next March of “I Can Be Anything!” “Our achievements over the last decade are just a beginning, and we look forward to telling Jimmy’s stories for years to come,” Lee said. Marketing stories through well-planned strategies, the story seller will continue to introduce Jimmy’s wonderful illustrated tales to a widening audience around the world. (THN)