Taiwan Today

Watch out Aunt Jemima. Move over Betty Crocker. Stand aside Uncle Ben. You aren't the only package-label celebrities who can move the merchandise. In Taiwan, at least, you have a competitor who probably enjoys more commercial exposure than all of you combined.

Who, the reader may well ask, could rival such stars with their multimillion-dollar advertising budgets and constant media attention? The answer is an ancient baldheaded gentleman with rosy cheeks and a distinctly high forehead. Decked out in a flowing yellow robe and commanding an entourage that includes deer, cranes, and apple-cheeked children, the God of Longevity, or Shou Lao as he is known in Chinese, is one of Taiwan's best known and most beloved deities.

How, the reader may also query, has this apparently shopworn personage managed to achieve such contemporary fame and success? The answers to this question are many, but the nature of Taiwan society plays an important part. The island is still steeped in Chinese tradition. Although the society is a modern, urban one with an exceptionally well-educated populace, there is a great deal of continuity with the past. Most of the people are only one or two generations removed from their agrarian origins. Age-old ceremonies and rites are still widely practiced, and both Taoist and Buddhist beliefs remain widespread.

In such an environment, Shou Lao has had little trouble retaining his traditional prominence. Originally a Taoist deity, this god has a notably warm and affable personality. He is at the same time undemanding, asking little from people in return for that most valued of human blessings, a long life.

A strong supporting cast and effective props also contribute to Shou Lao's continuing popular appeal. The deer that frequently accompanies him is itself associated with long life and remains important in the practice of Chinese traditional medicine. In fact, large quantities of hartshorn are still consumed in Taiwan for medicinal purposes, keeping the deer and its reputed life-giving benefits alive in the consciousness of the people.

Shou Lao also counts the crane among his closest companions. A symbol of longevity in its own right, this feathered creature has many mythical attributes. Moreover, its regal dignity and quiet beauty constitute an effective aesthetic contrast for Shou Lao's warm, friendly personality and rumpled robes.

The children who often play along-side Shou Lao are no less important members of his Longevity Troupe. They are typically pictured engaging in various traditional amusements, but at least two of them can always be seen carrying a large succulent peach. The peach, a Taoist symbol of immortality as well as a symbol of marriage, is one of Shou Lao's most important props. In fact, according to legend, he himself originally issued from this fruit. Today, the association of the peach with longevity remains strong, and the fruit is often still presented as a gift on those occasions when it is felicitous to convey wishes for a long life.

The gourd and the pine are also used as props on many occasions. A hu lu, as the former is known in Chinese, is sometimes seen hanging from Shou Lao's staff. It is a symbol of the Taoist curative arts and is said to ward off those pernicious influences that can shorten life. The pine, an emblem of enduring strength, provides the floral background in the majority of Shou Lao's appearances. Its rugged, irregular form offers an especially artistic and culturally meaningful setting for the pudgy god and his graceful white crane.

In a word, this whole collection of traditional characters and props is filled with meaning for Chinese everywhere. Regardless of the particular cast that is present on a given occasion, the message is a clear and very positive one, and any businessman who puts Shou Lao on his label can look forward to a favorable reception from potential customers.

Economics likewise adds to the Longevity Troupe's commercial luster. The majority of firms manufacturing domestic food products and daily necessities are small and have only limited capital. They have little access to the talents of commercial artists or the creativity of advertising executives. When faced with such questions as advertising themes and package design, they essentially must rely upon their own ideas and resources. Many turn to Shou Lao as a kind of cut-rate answer to the high cost of developing their own label personality. He is available at low cost, and there is absolutely no need to deal with an agent or advertising firm. The numerous manuals of traditional painting and design that can be found in the island's bookstores contain countless variations of the longevity motif. A tried and true performer who enjoys the unquestioned affection of the public is available free for the asking.

The very concept of longevity also contributes to Shou Lao's popularity in the world of commerce. Although it basically concerns human life span, this concept can for better or worse be stretched to include inanimate objects. Consequently, businessmen and merchants frequently use the God of Longevity motif to call attention to the quality and dependability of their products. Shou Lao has, in effect, become a kind of spiritual guarantor, vouching for the durability of manufactured goods of all kinds. While this flexibility gives Shou Lao a leg up over the other deities who might seek employment in the commercial sector, the range of products he stands behind would give anyone pause. His label performances include everything from religious articles and food to kitchenware and construction materials.

Items associated with ritual and religion, however, furnish the largest single outlet for Shou Lao's marketing endeavors. Illustrations 1-6 are typical of the genre. They demonstrate a fidelity to Chinese heritage and allow him and his cohorts to maintain their traditional pride and dignity.

Illustration 1, featured on a candle box, is a classic example of the longevity motif. With a background of picturesque mountain peaks, the design offers a robust Shou Lao leaning on his staff, an enormous peach of immortality, and five chubby children who resemble precocious weight lifters. Bats symbolizing good fortune (because the words for both are homonyms) also flutter about the illustration. Even though their presence might seem to be a case of promotional overkill, this variation of the Shou Lao motif has a long history, both in decorative and commercial design.

Shou Lao continues in a traditional vein in Illustration 2. This incense stick label features him standing behind his friend the deer. Alas, owing to the generally smaller size of Chinese deer and the peculiar perspective in the picture, this deer tends to resemble a fox terrier that has sprouted horns.

In Illustration 3, which appears on a box of incense coils, Shou Lao stands in front of a pleasant pavilion. Flanked by his usual friends from the animal kingdom, he seems a good deal more laid back than in the previous illustrations. In keeping with the modern emphasis on health and fitness, he has slimmed down and enlisted the services of a more substantial deer and a decidedly flashy crane. Obviously, our star is no stick-in-the-mud; he is willing to change with the times and to adapt to the demands of those who hire him.

This adaptability is no less apparent in Illustration 4. Here, Shou Lao has dispensed with his regular cast in favor of the Eight Taoist Immortals. These legendary beings, who stand at almost military attention along the edges of the label, represent different aspects of the human condition. Their presence on the same label as the Taoist Shou Lao is culturally unremarkable, but commercially interesting since several of the Immortals, including Li Tieh Kuei and Ho Hsien Ku, are rivals who frequently star on their own incense labels. Much the same is true of the unicorn at the bottom of the label. As harbinger of longevity and a symbol of felicity, he too is often the leading performer on such packaging and seldom deigns to act as a mere incense bearer.

Fireworks, which are employed in connection with a wide number of ceremonies in Chinese society, also provide many business opportunities for Shou Lao. On the whole, however, the productions tend to be less elaborate and cheaper than those found on incense since the packaging usually goes up in smoke along with the product. In Illustration 5, Shou Lao appears in a simple two-color trademark accompanied only by his crane. Color and detail work on this package are reserved for the ducks and lotus at the bottom. Presumably, the prominence of these emblems of felicity stems from the product's frequent use at Chinese New Year, an occasion when it is customary to extend good wishes to family, friends, and neighbors.

The firecracker wrapper in Illustration 6 represents a still lower-budget effort. In this example, a poorly printed and obviously irritated Shou Lao peers out at the consumer. He is so humiliated by his reduced circumstances that not even the extra peach of immortality on the tray his juvenile minions are carrying can cheer him up.

Food package labels are a second area in which Shou Lao has managed to carve out a secure niche. Manufacturers whose products are primarily traditional feel comfortable with him; he helps to identify the contents of the package with the culture, and shopper recognition is extremely high. His presence is, moreover, a kind of unspoken promise that buyers will enjoy the blessings of good health and a long life if they purchase the manufacturer's goods. These considerations play an especially important role on noodle packaging. In Chinese tradition noodles are symbolically equated with life span. There are even special "long life" or "chang shou" noodles which are prepared on birthdays to ensure continued longevity.

Illustration 7 is a typical specimen of such birthday noodle packaging. In this instance Shou Lao stands inside a wreath composed of wheat shocks. With the peach of immortality cradled under one arm like a football, he offers the potential buyer "good fortune as great as the East­ern Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains are high," a promise that would be difficult for anyone to resist.

The "Hundred Year Brand" label in Illustration 8 provides an equally good example. In this case the manufacturer has opted for full color, a decision which Shou Lao obviously appreciates. With a remarkably luxuriant beard and striking orange robe, he smiles in a particularly winning way at potential buyers of the noodles within. Such birthday standbys represent only a small part of Shou Lao's work in the noodle trade, however. With absolutely no qualms about its baleful effects on the Chinese culinary arts, he enthusiastically hawks that marvel of modern food technology, the instant noodle. On the "Divine Peach" brand instant shredded-chicken noodle package in Illustration 9, a nattily attired Shou Lao stands bemused beside a deluge of ingredients pouring down to meet noodles magically rising from a bowl.

Equally extraordinary is Illustration 10. In this example, Shou Lao is once again seen hawking instant shredded-chicken noodles. This time, however, he and the manufacturer have chosen not to attempt overwhelming the buyer with fine clothes and tasty ingredients. They settle instead for Shou Lao in a merry, cartoon-like pose that is clearly intended to appeal to children who are among the most important consumers of the product. The bowl of prepared noodles that he is holding should also catch the atten­tion of economy-minded mothers everywhere since it appears large enough to serve an entire family, with an ample amount left over for the neighbors.

Needless to say, Shou Lao's work in the food industry is not restricted to noodle packaging. He is also featured on a host of other products, many of which are sold more on the basis of their health-giving qualities than on their relation to traditional belief and custom. The label in Illustration 11, taken from a soybean snack preparation, is an excellent example of such an effort. On this label, the bearded deity can be seen busily promoting modern concepts of diet and nutrition. In a manner very similar to that of an American celebrity extolling the virtues of breakfast food on TV, he demonstrates "scientifically" how the proteins, vitamins, and minerals in the product can bring long life to consumers.

The "Life Extension" brand brown rice label in Illustration 12 represents still another attempt of play upon contemporary ideas about food and physical well-being. In this instance, the manufacturer trades upon the growing public perception that semi-refined brown rice is particularly beneficial to the health. What seems to be a thinner, more realistic Shou Lao appears amid attractive green rice stalks which hint at the rustic beauty of the countryside and the healthfulness of the simple food that can presumably be found there.

Shou Lao of course promotes other food products that are not normally noted for their health-giving qualities. In Illustration 13 he maintains a traditional pose on a box of the Japanese-style Nagasaki honey cakes that are extremely popular in Taiwan, while in Illustration 14 he stands together with his crane on a simple, single-color plastic bag from a western-style bakery.

Many manufacturers, especially those of non-food products, also turn to Shou Lao because of the association of his image with durability. Illustrations 15 and 16 are cases in point. The first of these examples is a label from a roll of the reinforcing wire used in construction work. The importance of enduring strength in such a product is obvious, and in the Chinese context it is hard to think of a more appropriate symbol than Shou Lao.

The latter of the two labels appears on a packet of bamboo chopsticks. As the brand name, wan nien (10,000 years) suggests, the chopsticks are not of the disposable variety and are, on the contrary, intended for repeated use. Shou Lao's particularly broad smile on this label should certainly help to convince potential buyers of the quality of the product although his generous use of what appears to be lipstick may give pause to some shoppers.

Still other labels featuring Shou Lao have been profoundly influenced by the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau's version of the longevity motif. This design, which appears in Illustration 17, is over 20 years old. It offers a logo with the characters for "long life" or "chang shou" in red inside a gold circle composed of repetitions of the character for "shou." Just below stand Shou Lao and his crane. Although the use of this longevity motif may seem a questionable choice for a cigarette pack in light of concern about the effects of smoking, it has been one of the most popular of all commercial designs in Taiwan for many years. Its spread to the labels of products produced by private companies has occurred primarily because much of the populace mistakenly sees it as a kind of official government imprimatur. This perception makes the design extremely attractive to small manufacturers who are desperately seeking every possible advantage for their products in the marketplace.

The label in Illustration 18 comes from a maker of glassware. The circle with the characters for "long life" has been modified and reduced in importance and a glassblower has taken up residence in the upper right-hand corner of the label. Nevertheless, the colors and basic design are the same as those found on the cigarette pack, and anyone seeing the product would be likely to assume that it had been manufactured under government auspices.

Illustrations 19-22 are even closer to the original Monopoly Bureau design. In all four of these specimens the type face for the English version of the name has been preserved, and in 19, 20, and 21 the picture of Shou Lao appears simply to have been transferred intact. Illustration 19 is a particularly good example of the manufacturer's desire to use Shou Lao to stress the quality of his product. Used on aluminum cookware, this label features the phrases "reliability first" and "durability guaranteed" along the right and left margins. As far as the design is concerned, the Long Life logo and Shou Lao himself are pictured in essentially the same way as on the cigarette pack. Only the startling blue of the background and the pink-tinged feathers of the crane, who looks for all the world as if he is attempting to masquerade as a flamingo, show any marked deviation from the Monopoly Bureau model.

On both the chopstick pack label in Illustration 20 and the label in Illustration 21, where Shou Lao and his crane have been reduced to touting toothpicks, the designs are even closer to that of the Monopoly Bureau. The ultimate case of appropriation is, however, the label in Illustration 22. Here, the manufacturer of playing cards has packaged his product in a way that makes it virtually indistinguishable from a pack of Long Life Cigarettes. The mustard yellow of the background is the same despite the different brand name, given at the top of the package, of wan shou (ten-thousand happy returns). The sole difference between the two items is that Shou Lao has apparently grown tired of such boring assignments and has decided to rest on his staff in the playing-card example.

In view of these seeming endless repetitions of the same design, what can Shou Lao and his supporting cast look forward to in the days to come? Will they have to be content to repeat the same tired performance ad nauseam? Fortunately, the answer is probably no. Commercial design is entering an era of rapid change in Taiwan. Liberalization of import policies is bringing vast numbers of new foreign products with fresh and sophisticated label designs. At the same time, the challenge posed by the opening of the advertising industry to foreign investors is encouraging new creativity in commercial art. Shou Lao should profit from these changes and should continue to enjoy a busy career in the business world. Chinese culture remains strong, and the people of Taiwan are certain to want to maintain their long and happy relationship with the bearded gentleman and his friends. Recent developments should undoubtedly serve to bring them many new and creative opportunities to apply their talents.