I grew up in a rural village in the southernmost region of mainland China. Modern entertainment was non-existent then; there were no computers or even TVs. But, a marketing event occurred that left an indelible imprint on me.

I was 7 or 8 years old, playing in the bushes one day, when I heard a loud and distinct sound that appeared to divide the sky. Intrigued, I dashed to the noise source, where I spotted a group of individuals in uniforms giving out sweets to children. They assured us that we would be given additional sweets if we returned that night. The kids rushed home to inform their parents.

One uniformed guy wrote martial arts film information on a large piece of paper and stuck it on the wall of the country hall, drawing the main character with eye-catching colours.

An experienced hawker was ordered to yell from street to street that an entertaining movie would be screened in the hall at 6 p.m., with sweets given. This was done thrice daily, with each statement lasting half an hour.

Later that evening, the uniformed group returned to the village and installed a huge black box with a connection for connecting a rudimentary audio system to a wall. The group was made up of employees from a local town cinema, and they performed a two-hour martial arts film for the villagers as a charitable deed.

The marketing campaign worked well; the hall was crowded with locals and children sitting on stools and benches. The martial arts film was a classic, and the action on the screen grabbed the crowd. The mood was electric, and I distinctly recall getting sweets as a reward for participating.

This one-of-a-kind and amazing marketing event brought joy and amusement to our little community, leaving a lasting impact on those who attended. The use of sweets, the introduction by the peddler, and the martial arts film were all brilliant marketing features that successfully pulled in the crowd.