The sexy business cards Hong Kong go-go bars handed out to attract sailors in the 1960s
- While researching Wan Chai history for inspiration for a restaurant interior, graphic designer Jay Foss-Cole fell in love with the bars’ gaudy business cards
- He started collected them, buying them on eBay and from private collectors
Hong Kong was a popular military port of call for rest and relaxation (R&R) during the major conflicts of the second half of the 20th century, such as the Korean and Vietnam wars. And the first Hongkongers encountered by the foreign servicemen after stepping off their warships were often touts thrusting colourful, risqué business cards into their hands.
On the front, the cards promoted bars and nightclubs with names such as Playgirl and Playboy, Crazy Horse, Rainbow and Rosemarie. And on the back there was usually a map indicating the route from Fenwick Pier – the historic point of arrival for generations of sailors visiting Hong Kong – or a chart showing exchange rates between Hong Kong and US dollars, which would have been useful for American servicemen not wanting to get ripped off after a few too many drinks.
The cards may be tame by modern standards – many feature images of couples enjoying a spot of ballroom dancing, for example, although some do feature artwork of scantily clad women – but they leave no doubt about their purpose: to lure visiting military men to girlie bars in Hong Kong Island’s red-light district in Wan Chai, usually with a free drink “on the second round only”.
Many are perfect examples of Swinging Sixties design, and the creators appear to have been trying to outdo each other with lurid East-meets-West artwork and feel-good fonts as they fought to catch the eyeballs of thirsty sailors looking for a drink – or more – during their shore leave.
