Cathay has turned the West Bridge at Kai Tak Sports Park into a 100-metre audio-visual installation charting the airline’s history, created with Leo Hong Kong and T&DA. Timed to walking pace, the experience revisits milestones like the first aircraft “Betsy” and welcomes visitors ahead of the 2025 Hong Kong Sevens debut at Kai Tak.
Cathay’s transformation of Kai Tak’s West Bridge into an immersive audio-visual journey is both a tribute to Hong Kong’s aviation legacy and a statement about how brands are reimagining public spaces as cultural touchpoints. Once the site where aircraft thundered down Kai Tak’s legendary runway, the bridge now hosts a 100-metre installation that traces the airline’s story through decades of change, culminating in the 2025 debut of the Hong Kong Sevens at the new Kai Tak Sports Park. The project blends nostalgia, cinematic storytelling, and technological craft, turning a routine walk between Sung Wong Toi station and Kai Tak Stadium into a sensory narrative that mirrors the evolution of the city itself.
As the exclusive Founding Travel Partner of Kai Tak Sports Park, Cathay has placed itself at the heart of one of Hong Kong’s most ambitious redevelopment zones. The decision to create one of its largest outdoor audio-visual experiences speaks to a desire not only to celebrate its own heritage but to honour the deep connection between aviation and Hong Kong identity. For generations of travellers, Kai Tak was more than an airport; it was an iconic portal where departures were emotional, arrivals dramatic, and every landing an unforgettable spectacle over tightly packed buildings. By returning to the site with a new purpose, Cathay invites visitors to experience that feeling again—this time through curated visuals, soundscapes, and storytelling stitched directly into the architecture.
Christopher Lee, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, describes the project as a way to turn “a functional urban space into a canvas for storytelling.” Working with technology and design agency T&DA, Cathay and Leo Hong Kong developed an installation that merges data, design, and cinematic craft to create a film tailored to the physical environment. Instead of being watched on a screen, the story unfolds in motion, encouraging visitors to experience it at walking pace. This temporal element is crucial; the installation is structured across four action zones, each timed to match the average speed of passersby, so the piece reveals itself naturally as they move forward. It becomes, in effect, a journey through time—one step per chapter.
The film animates the brand’s milestones, from its early days to its vision for the future. At one point, visitors look up to see Cathay’s first aircraft, the storied “Betsy,” soaring above them. This is more than a historical cue; Betsy symbolises the airline’s origins as a pioneering start-up founded not far from this very spot. Seeing her take flight again along the bridge at Kai Tak is a nod to both the resilience of Hong Kong and the airline’s continued commitment to evolution. The installation’s aesthetic blends archival footage, modern design, and futuristic visual language, suggesting a narrative that begins in 1946 but stretches confidently into tomorrow.
For Cathay, the project is part of a broader strategy to deepen emotional connection with customers by integrating brand storytelling into everyday experiences. Instead of relying solely on traditional advertising, the airline is investing in physical and cultural touchpoints—airports, sports venues, neighbourhood pathways—where travellers and residents naturally congregate. At Kai Tak Sports Park, the West Bridge walkway will play a central role in visitor flow once the stadium becomes active, particularly during peak events like the Hong Kong Sevens. Converting the bridge into a brand-led journey allows Cathay to greet thousands of guests long before they reach the turnstiles.
Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, describes the space as “a living showcase of movement, aspiration, and shared pride.” Her comments reflect the emotional intent behind the installation. Movement has always been central to Cathay’s identity—planes taking flight, passengers embarking on new journeys, Hong Kong itself constantly shifting and modernising. By embedding this concept into a walkway, the installation echoes the symbolism of forward motion. Lau emphasises that the bridge is meant to leave visitors feeling “inspired, welcomed, and part of a legacy that empowers them to move beyond.” That phrase—“move beyond”—has been central to Cathay’s recent brand direction, encouraging travellers to imagine their journeys not just as physical travel but as personal growth.
The installation also arrives at a time when brands across industries are rethinking how to engage audiences in the post-pandemic era. With digital saturation at an all-time high, physical experiences have regained premium value. Consumers increasingly seek moments that feel authentic, tactile, and emotionally resonant. Public spaces—transit corridors, bridges, parks—are being rediscovered as canvases for storytelling and creative activation. For Hong Kong, a city known for its urban density and fast pace, these pockets of immersive experience offer rare opportunities for pause and reflection while preserving the energy that defines the city.
Kai Tak Sports Park itself is emblematic of Hong Kong’s current moment: a massive urban development built on the bones of the old airport, symbolising reinvention and renewal. Turning part of its circulatory system into a multimedia journey aligns with this ethos. The installation is poised to be an iconic part of the neighbourhood—visible to residents, stadium attendees, and commuters alike. In doing so, it transforms not just Cathay’s brand presence but the area’s cultural identity. Where once engines roared, now stories unfold.
For Hong Kongers who remember the old Kai Tak Airport—the steep banking manoeuvre, the exhilarating landings, the neon-lit cityscape coming into view—the installation may carry a bittersweet resonance. For younger generations, it provides a historical link to a place that once defined Hong Kong’s relationship with the world. For tourists, it becomes a curated introduction to the city’s spirit: ambitious, fast-moving, modern yet rooted in its past.
The collaboration with Leo Hong Kong and T&DA underscores the interdisciplinary nature of the project. It required not just creative vision but deep technical expertise, from audio engineering to large-scale projection mapping to motion-synchronised storytelling. Outdoor installations come with their own challenges—ambient light, weather conditions, variable foot traffic—but they also offer unmatched visibility and public engagement. By investing in such a large-scale, open-air experience, Cathay signals its commitment to innovation not just in aviation, but in design, culture and community activation.
The timing of the installation’s completion is deliberate. With the 2025 Hong Kong Sevens making its debut at the new stadium, Kai Tak Sports Park is set to attract international attention. The tournament is one of the city’s most globally recognised events, drawing fans from around the world. For Cathay, anchoring its brand into the journey leading to the stadium ensures maximum visibility during one of Hong Kong’s most high-energy, celebratory weekends. The installation will greet visitors arriving by MTR, setting the tone for the excitement ahead.
Ultimately, the West Bridge project is not just about aviation or brand history. It is about creating a bridge—literal and metaphorical—between eras, between destinations, between communities and their stories. It transforms a daily path into a narrative space, celebrating both where Hong Kong has been and where it is going. For Cathay, it is a chance to express something deeper than corporate identity: to honour the shared pride of a city that has always looked upward, always looked outward, and always believed in the next take-off.
