Author: James Evans
In a pioneering initiative at the end of 2022, BOSS Zhipin, China’s largest online recruitment platform, sponsored the “Design Like a BOSS” competition, a global challenge for international students. The competition, themed around “A Moment of Homesickness/Happiness/Loneliness in Student Life Abroad,” captured widespread attention.
Beginning on October 24th, 2022, the contest solicited environmentally conscious bag designs from students across the globe. Over a span of 55 days, the competition was promoted in nine countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Australia, South Korea, and Singapore. It drew submissions from students residing in seven of these countries.
The top ten contestants’ design videos garnered over 400,000 views and more than 60,000 votes. Ultimately, these ten finalists had their works exhibited at the Richard Taittinger Gallery in New York on December 17th, where the judges awarded a total of $25,000 in prizes for the Most Creative Design, Best Visual Effect, Best Design, and Most Popular Design categories. The event attracted more than 70 attendees to the offline award ceremony.
Prominent Chinese filmmaker with American educational background, Hansen Chenhui Lin, known for his extensive experience as a documentary director and producer, was specially invited by BOSS Zhipin to produce a series of promotional videos for the event.
The metrics of the BOSS Zhipin overseas video were impressive. Six promotional videos featuring the judges amassed a total of 5,867 views and 114 interactions. The videos showcasing the top ten contestants’ designs drew a staggering 429,435 views and 80,503 interactions, a remarkable interaction rate of about 19%. This included 53,965 likes, 492 comments, 21,548 shares, and 4,498 favorites. These outstanding figures brought immense satisfaction to the management team at BOSS Zhipin. They praised Lin, stating, “The surge in traffic and exposure is largely attributable to Hansen’s videos, which greatly engaged the audience and fostered active participation.”
Hansen Lin’s documentary-style work is known for its artistic sensibility. His understanding and observations of the international student community are profound. His designs, using the sky, earth, and sea as a canvas, metaphorically represent the vastness of the world and encourage students overseas to protect the environment through their actions. “As a former international student in the United States, I have many unique experiences. I’ve always wanted to hear more stories from people my age and break the stereotype that studying abroad is just a leisurely, gilded experience,” said Lin.
He emphasized the vital role that natural landscapes play in his creative work. The vastness of the sea and sky brings tranquility to the mind and sparks creative inspiration. Lin extensively communicated with his team about artistic ways to express environmental protection concepts, choosing to use a natural brush to depict the relationship between humans and nature.