MTR taps Kent Cheng to promote escalator safety with bilingual wordplay

MTR Hong Kong has teamed up with Hong Kong-based creative agency The Bread Digital to launch a fresh public safety push that aims to make escalator rides safer for everyone.

Prompted by internal data revealing that elderly passengers account for nearly half of all affected individuals in escalator mishaps, the campaign departs from traditional cautionary messaging. Instead, it adopts an innovative, intergenerational approach designed to engage commuters of all ages.

Also known as "JUST stand firm" (則仕企定), the campaign features veteran actor Kent Cheng (鄭則仕) as its spokesperson. The tagline is a wordplay on his name "則仕," which phonetically resembles the English word "just," giving the campaign title a fitting bilingual twist.

Cheng’s positive image appeals to both older and younger generations - older audiences know him from classic TV dramas, while younger fans recognise him from his recent marathon finish and the viral "微臣先行告退" meme from his iconic TV role.

Meanwhile, Cheng's determination in completing the marathon earlier this year inspired many netizens, making him a relatable and credible figure to front the campaign. His personal story of perseverance gives the message added weight and authenticity.

The campaign centres on a video featuring Cheng leading fellow runners into an MTR station, pausing at the escalator to kick off a fun musical number that demonstrates safe escalator etiquette. The light-hearted format blends humour and catchy wordplay to drive home a simple but critical safety message: hold the handrail, stand firm, or choose the lift whenever needed.

With its light-hearted delivery, the campaign turns escalator safety into a simple, collective effort - one brought to life holistically through an elderly community event, the Escalator Safety Ambassador programme and a Book Fair engagement, all culminating in the launch of the new campaign video, which will roll out across MTR channels, stations and social media platforms.

Karen Woo, general manager – branding and communications at MTR Corporation, said: “Safety is our top priority at MTR. Despite our ongoing efforts, escalator accidents remain our concern. We want a campaign that feels warm, relatable and memorable. Partnering with Kent Cheng helps us connect across generations and remind everyone that staying safe is simple and achievable.”

Sunny Yeung, director of business at The Bread Digital, said: “We are grateful that MTR is so open-minded and welcoming of playful ideas. Huge thanks also go to our internal team for their incredible efforts. Cheng shared with us that he was delighted with the shoot. Despite his extensive experience in film and television, he found this project incredibly fun, and it completely refreshed his perspective on filming commercials.”

Don’t miss: MTR taps TV host Kenneth Chan for sonic branding campaign

Back in June, MTR tapped local TV host Kenneth Chan, best known as the host of the classic quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", to unveil a sonic branding campaign centred on its iconic audio assets.

Titled "The ultimate sound of rail: Battle for millions," the initiative leveraged daily station sound effects, passenger announcements, and railway trivia to engage the public, rail enthusiasts, and digital influencers through a series of online and offline challenges starting 8 June.

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