STDecaux; Ads for ads; Shanghai subway ads weave Chinese four-character idiom and graphics together.

Clever advertisements sell advertisement space in Shanghai subway. These photos were taken at the Jingansi station and East Nanjing Rd. station, and the series of ads are commonly seen when people walk in any of the subway lines.

A full exhibit of the creativity subway ads can offer to ads. The ad integrates the idea of chinese four-character idiom, English letters, animal image and homophony.

地铁广告•体验 “喵” 不可言。/ “Subway advertisements: ingenious experience beyond words. WOW!”

A play on the character “喵” (pronounced miao 2nd tone) and the character “妙” in “妙不可言” (pronounced miao 4th tone), the former one represents a cat’s meow. 妙不可言 (pronounced miao4 bu4 ke3 yan2) means something to the effect of undescribably marvelous.

地铁广告•创意 “蝶” 出不穷。/ “Subway advertisements: endless innovation and creativity. WOW!”

A play on the character “蝶” (pronounced die 2nd tone, the character for butterfly) and the character “迭” (also pronounced die 2nd tone) in the phrase “迭出不穷”(pronounced die2 chu1 bu4 qiong2), which means to emerge in an endless stream.

地铁广告• 形式包罗万 “象”。/ “Subway advertisements: an all-inclusive format, WOW!”

A play on the character “象” (pronounced xiang 4th tone, meaning elephant or appearance) in the phrase 包罗万象(pronounced bao1 luo2 wan4 xiang4), which means all inclusive.

地铁广告• 宣传如 “鱼” 得水。/ “Subway advertisements: promotion thrives like a duck to water. WOW!”

A clever use of the phrase “如鱼得水” (pronounced ru2 yu2 de2 shui3). Chinese are customed to refer to fish while English refer to duck when using this phrase.

地铁广告• 新线蓄势 “袋” 发。/ “Subway advertisements: the new line is poised to take off. WOW!”

A pun on the phrase “蓄势待发” (pronounced xu4 shi4 dai4 fa1) that replaces “待” (pronounced dai 4th tone) with “袋” (also pronounced dai 4th tone) but means a kangaroo’s pouch. The phrase “new line” is in reference to the new #7 subway line under construction, and even the line #10 to #13 to be completed before 2012.

地铁广告•覆盖尽其所“长”。/ “Subway advertisements: cover to the extent of its best. WOW!”

Another pun on the character “长” (pronounced chang, 4th tone), which means “strength” as well as “long” in Chinese. The phrase “尽其所长” (pronounced jin4 qi2 suo3 chang2) indicates to achieve one’s best. While Shanghai subway lines extent to its fullest scale, ads also achieve its best. And who can compare with a giraffe’s neck in length?

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Tagged as: STDecaux;subway