Hong Kong Ballet Gets an Alien Invasion in Stunning New Ad

Citizens of earth, gather round for a bizarro bedtime story with a science-fiction flair that celebrates the Hong Kong Ballet’s 45th anniversary and the debut of its first dance school.

The fantastical tale starts here: “One odd day, a UFO lands and an alien enters the classroom,” where the teacher starts a conversation through movement. “At first, the alien struggles to learn the artful language, until he’s gifted a magical tutu. With fresh confidence, the green-hued stranger joyfully joins the dancing crew.”

The scenario, as outlined by longtime ad agency Design Army, plays out with eye-popping visuals and gravity-defying moves in a three-minute mini-movie called “Tutu Academy.” (There’s a bittersweet farewell at the end, but that’s only a partial spoiler.)

The work is entirely on-brand, following years worth of stunning creative output from the partners. But that makes it no less noteworthy as the masterful marketing streak continues, showing another new way to reimagine a classical dance format for contemporary audiences. This time it involves quirky details like punk rockers en pointe, koi fish-inspired hairdos and some extraterrestrial visitors.

The work mashes up “inspo from Degas’ ballerina portraits, the Renaissance age and artistic hip-hop,” according to Pum Lefebure, the agency’s co-founder and chief creative officer. Collaborators include director Dean Alexander and the ballet company’s artistic director, Septime Webre.

As in previous campaigns, “Tutu Academy” uses picturesque locales like Tai Kwun plaza and High Island Reservoir as a backdrop for the 50-plus superstar athletes, tucking in a bit of travelogue with the storytelling. 

The “tutu takeover” video is set to the Blue Danube Waltz from Johann Strauss, with current-day rap sprinkled in with the goal “to make ballet feel accessible to everyone while spreading the crazy joy of dance and staying true to Hong Kong’s culture and heritage,” Lefebure said in a statement.

The imminently rewatchable video “played with graphic scale—from bird’s eye shots to silhouettes against architecture—circular repetition mimicking tutus at every turn, texture, sound, music and more,” per Lefebure.

Webre, who creates the choreography, said previous work focused on “building connectivity to Hong Kong.” The new piece is different in that it “skyrockets us into the universe at large—and it’s the perfect reflection of Hong Kong Ballet as a classical company with modern sensibilities. ‘Tutu Academy’ pays tribute to our classical roots while cheekily positioning the company squarely in todays’ world, with a fun hint of retro.”

Trivia from the production: Creatives made all of the outlandish costumes, and the sleek space ship, by hand.

“Tutu Academy” will appear on social media, print and out-of-home ads and on the troupe’s website, among other platforms.