On a recent trip to Taiwan I was struck by a wave of western branding across Taiwanese cities from Taipei to Kaohsiung. However, there is also plenty to suggest that things are changing.

Walking along in the hustle and bustle of a night market in Taipei, with the overpowering stench of ‘Stinky Tofu’ (a national delicacy) and vendors cooking selections of indeterminate meat off cuts on skewers ready to be swilled down with a litre tub of bubble tea, something that needs to be experienced to be believed. It is also culturally a long way from the latte drinking culture of London or a swift pint at the local.

Saying this, there has long been an assumption that the tide of culture runs West to East. The abundance of Starbucks coffee and McDonalds in the city of Taipei and the Marks and Spencer stores in New Delhi are evidence of Western influences. There is also a profusion of Western, and often, American designer brands being worn by teenagers in affluent cities across Asia adorned with westernised typography and graphics.

China has risen quickly to become the worlds fastest growing market for luxury goods, (www.chinapost.com.tw) and ‘high end’ retailers including Prada, Chanel and Dior are adding to the dominance of Western luxury brands, which are established across Asian capital cities. These retailers are marketing western idealisms and styles and some have gone further still developing whitening products aimed at westernising Asian skin.

In Taiwan, however, things may be changing. In 2009 the Taiwanese government officially identified 15 creative industry sectors including digital content, product design, visual communication design and fashion as crucial for future business success in Taiwan. They have also developed a strategic plan ‘Creative Taiwan’ to boost the development of creative businesses and creative thinking in Taiwan. This project, with subsidies to industry worth £108 million has seen a greater gravitas of creative thinking both in business and education. This reflects a change in Taiwan’s economic landscape...

Captions:

Top: Coca-Cola can looks ‘cool’ with Mandarin typography.

Middle: The hustle and bustle of a late night street market in Taipei.

Bottom: ‘Stinky Tofu’, a Taiwanese delicacy.