Henan University Cultural and Creative Products
The cultural and creative products of Henan University skillfully integrate the profound heritage of this century-old institution into everyday life. They serve not only as an emotional bond for students, teachers, and alumni but also as a vibrant vehicle for bringing campus culture into the wider public sphere.
Henan University Cultural Industry Base Co., Ltd. (referred to as “HENU Cultural Industry”) is the core creator behind these products, acting as the “digger” and “disseminator” of campus culture stories. It leverages the university’s cultural, research, and educational resources to serve both the university’s and the Central Plains’ cultural development. A significant milestone was the launch of a meticulously crafted 110th-anniversary emblem gift box set in 2022, which was widely beloved by alumni worldwide, building a strong audience and reputation.
The most distinctive feature of the product design is its deep roots in shared campus memories. Designers draw inspiration from the university’s iconic architecture (such as the Great Auditorium and main gates), its spirit and motto (“Illustrious Virtue, Renovating the People, Abiding in the Highest Good”), scenery, and street signs. For instance, the graduation series themed “HENU Youth Have Mountains and Seas, Crossing All Waters Leads to Prosperity” creatively transforms these unique HENU symbols into various products.
The product lines are diverse, balancing cultural significance, artistry, and practicality:
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Varied Categories: They include keychains, canvas bags, felt bags, mouse pads, badges, and cultural T-shirts, catering to different needs and scenarios.
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Interactive Experience: A particularly popular feature is the customized stamp collection. HENU Cultural Industry has created over sixty exclusive stamps featuring campus architecture and scenery. These were offered for free at cultural markets, allowing people to collect them as a ritualistic and memorable activity.
The reason these products have successfully “broken out of the circle” is their precise strike on emotional resonance. For current students and alumni, a keychain with a campus building or a T-shirt with the university’s name is a tangible memento of their university life. These items carry feelings for the alma mater, teachers, and classmates, becoming emotional tokens connecting the past and present.
The success of these cultural and creative products has also significantly boosted the internal cohesion and external dissemination of campus culture. Cultural market events attracted massive participation from students and staff, who enthusiastically shared their favorite products and stamps on social media, generating extensive secondary exposure. This not only strengthens the cultural identity and sense of belonging within the university community but also presents HENU’s culture to the public in a more fashionable and relatable way. It has even set a benchmark within Henan Province’s university cultural and creative sector, offering valuable insights for exploring the development path of campus-themed cultural products.