Hong Kong Market and Bossini embrace HK culture via Cantonese wordplay

Hong Kong Market and Bossini have collaborated to launch a brand promotion campaign named "Eat word collection” (食字文化), embracing the spirit of Hong Kong culture through Cantonese wordplay.

The collaboration comes as many local citizens visit the fresh markets every day to select food ingredients for their families and engage in casual conversations. The collaboration aims to provide a platform for integrating the Cantonese wordplay culture into the community, providing neighbours with a deeper fresh market experience.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Agnes Lung, executive director and group chief marketing and digital officer, Uni-China Group, said that this partnership aims to resonate with individuals of all ages, from the young to the mature."Our goal is not only to sell t-shirt products, but also to evoke their memories of the vibrant fresh markets and the nostalgia of old Hong Kong." 

"This collaboration with Bossini is a perfect embodiment of our commitment of supporting local brands and embracing Hong Kong's vibrant culture. By integrating the 'Eat word collection' into our community, this campaign captures the essence of Cantonese slang phrases related to food, which hold deep cultural significance in our city," she added.

Lung said it is a fantastic blend of Hong Kong Market’s expertise and creativity, enabling Hongkongers to preserve our cultural heritage while showcasing the spirit that defines Hong Kong.

Created in collaboration with creative agency Hardchi Creative, the campaign includes a one-day exclusive pop-up store at Maritime Market (青衣市場) on 29 April 2024. It featured eight styles of "Eat word collection" t-shirts, in collaboration with local illustrator Milktealogy (奶茶通俗學). The t-shirts are adorned with Cantonese puns such as "咪當我水魚", "扮曬蟹", and "花生友食花生", accompanied by related cartoons.

Furthermore, the pop-up store featured other merchandise, limited-time offers and a neon light photo wall adorned with other Cantonese puns to highlight the cuteness of Hong Kong culture and resonate with neighbours.

In addition to the pop-up store, the campaign has been promoted through social media feeds on Hong Kong Market and Bossini platforms, online banners on the Hong Kong Market's app, and in-store point-of-sale materials (POSM) at Bossini stores.

Don’t miss: Hong Kong Market promotes home cooking with CNY campaign

Back in January, Hong Kong Market launched a campaign to encourage everyone to engage in home cooking and reward its loyal customers.

Done in collaboration with creative agency Hardchi Creative and PR Agency The Bridge Agency, the campaign came with a tagline "新春家有廚神，廚神家有", of which the phrase "at home" (家有) sounds similar to "fight on" (加油).

As part of the campaign, Hong Kong Market partnered with three KOL chefs, including local actor Chris Lai (黎諾懿), TV cooking show host Ben Li (李錦聯), and media chef Hilda Leung (梁雅琳), to create innovative Chinese New Year recipes.

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