Preface empowers Hongkongers to begin their AI journeys with new campaign

Hong Kong-based tech education provider Preface has teamed up with 30 industry leaders and school principals to empower one million Hongkongers to begin their AI journeys. Titled "Just start", the campaign leverages Cantonese wordplay and culturally tailored messaging to motivate citizens to take their first step in AI learning. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson from Preface said that the campaign's primary objective is to raise awareness about AI education. "Technology is reshaping our world, yet many of us let excuses such as 'I don’t know where to start' or 'I’m too busy' hold us back."

Running throughout the summer, the campaign targets students, teachers and school leaders, working professionals, corporate executives and business leaders, NGOs and community groups and the general public. 

The campaign is amplified through a series of out-of-home advertisements across Hong Kong, including bus and taxi bodies featuring the phrases: "You might not have noticed, but 2025 is the last bus to learn AI" (可能你未發現，2025 係學習 AI 嘅尾班車), and "This taxi driver might be learning AI. How about you?" (呢位的士司機都可能學緊 AI 你呢？), with continued rollout of lectures and training sessions in phases through Q4 2025 and beyond.

Additional taglines draw on local idioms and Hong Kong’s cultural references, including: "If you don’t learn AI, you’ll only be trapped in your own Kowloon Walled City" (唔學 AI，你只會困喺自己嘅九龍城寨).

Other activities include an assessment test to measure people’s AI quotient, and free public AI lectures and workshops delivered in collaboration with Google, Meta, corporations, NGOs and education partners.

The spokesperson added that Preface has collaborated with schools and F&B outlets to integrate AI learning into everyday environments through daily and retail settings, and established public education touchpoints. These include weekly lunch and learn sessions for professionals, teacher training at Google’s offices, town hall events for local NGOs, a TEDx Talk at Diocesan Boys' School, and activations at the Google Cloud Summit and its Causeway Bay coffee shops.

Done in collaboration with creative agency BYFA and PR agency VT Comms, alongside support from brands such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Samsung, HKT, CHARGESPOT, WeLab Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Project Melo, SVhk, local schools, and others, the campaign encompasses out-of-home advertising, social media such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, email and SMS campaigns, in-app integrations, and events, with coverage in NowTV, Tatler Asia, and other media outlets highlighting its cross-sector approach to AI literacy.

Tommie Lo, founder and CEO of preface said: "AI is not just a technical tool; it is fundamentally transforming the global work model and talent landscape. As technology rapidly evolves, mastering AI has become an essential skill for both individuals and organisations. The 'Just start' campaign aims to eliminate barriers to AI learning, ensuring that every citizen has no excuses not to participate, understand, and apply AI. We launched the AI-Q test to raise public awareness of AI and provide a clear, actionable starting point for learning."

Lo added, "In today’s fast-changing world, understanding AI is a basic ability we all need. Our vision is to foster a vibrant learning community in Hong Kong where everyone can keep pace with technological advancements. We invite everyone to roll up their sleeves, embrace the learning journey, and just start."

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