Marketing techniques have grown more creative over the years. Not that long ago you might have attended a Chivas or Hennessey party, or perhaps an F1 or Dolce & Gabanna one. These days all sorts of parties throw by or sponsored by big name brands in the name of marketing and branding. Need some free booze for your next party? Just throw up some promotional materials, and off you go!

Now Vogue Magazine has jumped into the fray, with something a big step back from these shindigs we are all used to, but something a little more than an ordinary advertising display. The difference is all in the money that’s spent. It’s what you might call an “exhibition” celebrating Vogues 1^st anniversary in China. A two part exhibition residing in Xintiandi, you might mistake it as part of the scenery.

One of these displays is located in Xintiandi Park. This Romanesque structure is suggestive of Vogue’s long history (being founded in the US in the late 1800’s), but does little more than provide a themed display with pretty lights. Filled with pictures, the only text is an unabashed summarization of how wonderful the magazine is.

The second part of the display is located in Xintiandi South end, in the Mall on the second floor. Adorned in red and countless images of models and magazine covers, you will get a Vogue overload. It is even equipped with a quaint little “model train” with cutouts of models traveling around a loop. All in all, the whole display is very unimpressive.

Notably missing from these displays was any sort of staff in any way related to Vogue magazine to help guests get the most from the exhibition. The display seems little more than an elaborate advertising display, the sole purpose being to sell more magazines. If you wander around Xintiandi a bit, you can find a few more of these not-too-remarkable displays.

Xintiandi has been host to a series of interesting events or exhibitions, but most ultimately are uninteresting excuses for marketing departments to pour their money into. Perhaps the people that frequent Xintiandi just have too much money and are prepared to pay for whatever mildly appealing thing is thrown in front of them? One way or another, it seems we can come to expect many more such presentations. If you are looking for some interesting things to go and see, and you have been to Xintiandi more than once, check out the slew of museum, landmarks, or shopping that Shanghai has to offer. Just look around, there are better things than advertisements to spend your time looking at.