On the screen, it's night time in New York, and Yankees pitcher Wang Chien-ming is in a cab, chatting with the driver. The driver asks where he's from. "Taiwan," he answers. "Taiwan? Where is Taiwan? You wanna tell me where's Taiwan?" The rookie ball player sinks into thought--images of youthful days spent practicing, the trials and tribulations, flood his mind. "You wanna tell me where's Taiwan?" asks the driver again. The camera cuts to scenes of Wang pitching for the Yankees in front of enthusiastic fans. "I'll show you," says Wang.
"Everyone, choose a symbol of Taiwan. Let's all show Taiwan!" This ad featuring Wang Chien-ming as spokesman received quite a response when it aired toward the end of 2005. Many Taiwanese had had similar experiences when asked about their home by foreign friends--they couldn't find a way to explain Taiwan, nor could they think of anything that most Taiwanese would agree symbolized Taiwan.
At the mention of Japan, people will think of Mount Fuji. The Statue of Liberty represents the spirit of America, and the word "Australia" conjures images of cute koalas and kangaroos. "We need a clear symbol of Taiwan to let the world know and remember Taiwan," says Government Information Office minister Pasuya Yao, who called for a search for such an image. Late last year, the GIO selected 24 representative images of Taiwan's scenery, culture, wildlife, and architecture and allowed the public to vote for their favorite. It sought out Wang Chien-ming to act as spokesman for the event. 250,000 votes have been cast so far in the month since it began, and right now, Yushan, Taipei 101, and puppet theater are in first, second, and third place respectively. The event is set to end on February 16.
The GIO stresses that the vote to select the symbols of Taiwan is running from the bottom up so as to capture the shared imagination of the citizens of Taiwan. The symbol the people find together will then be used over the long-term to present an image of Taiwan to the international community.
After the top five have been determined by voting, the GIO will have them incorporated into a national "branding" scheme for use on the international scene by the government and citizens.
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