Hong Kong, 2 July, 2011 – A slew of natural disasters around the world have caused a tragic pall to descend over Hong Kong. To spread much-needed sunshine in the lives of local residents, Volkswagen Hong Kong proudly launched ‘SMiLE, Hong Kong’, a parade featuring iconic Volkswagen Beetles with a jaunty twist: cheerful and creatively rendered designs that were created to brighten the lives of people throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, where the parade is taking place.

Volkswagen jazzed up 9 of its beloved Beetles with distinctive and fun-filled elements, generously splashing on bright colours and peppy designs. These brought a spirit of cheer to the ‘SMiLE, Hong Kong’ parade, banishing gloom and putting smiles on everyone’s faces and hope in their hearts.

On Saturday, 2 July, the 9 Beetles queued up outside the Volkswagen Kowloon Centre to kick off the parade, which wound through several districts in Kowloon including Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. They will be making another appearance on Sunday, 3 July, when they parade through the Hong Kong Island, spreading joy and cheer to the districts of Causeway Bay and Wanchai.

“Volkswagen is committed to upholding the corporate social responsibility, and it is our sincere hope that this event will spread a message of love and joy,” commented Mr. Samson Leung, PR Manager of Volkswagen Hong Kong. “Volkswagen Beetles are a beloved symbol of cheer, and we hope that the cars’ cute shapes and creative designs will spread happiness and bring positive energy to the public.”

In addition to the Beetle parade, Volkswagen ambassadors distributed paper fans adorned with a smiley face as souvenirs for the public, spreading a spirit of goodwill on a hot summer’s day. All recipients are invited to share the joy by capturing photographs of themselves posing with their fans and uploading it to the “Volkswagen Smile HK” Fan Page on Facebook. The photo with the most “Likes” will be awarded an Apple - iPad 2.