IKEA HK takes a jab at Meisun with durian mooncake promotion post

IKEA Hong Kong has taken a jab at the mooncake brand Meisun which allegedly misled consumers about its origins and performed false advertising. 

Ahead of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, the retailer took to its social platforms to mock Meisun with its "Durian snowy mooncake" promotion post, along with a headline "Sincerely recommending the delicious durian snowy mooncakes" (美味誠推榴槤冰皮月餅) featuring bolded words "美" and "誠", which also align with Meisun's Chinese name.

"Yo Sis and Brrrro (Tongue roll), missed out on those MaX__ mooncakes? No worries! The editor, a.k.a. Lil Durian, is here to save the day—hit up IKEA’s Swedish food market for some Durian snow skin mooncakes or mini mooncakes!" said the post. 

"End up with killer bad breath? Congrats! You’ll know what a solo Mid-Autumn Festival feels like. (Yeah)" 

The post has garnered over 8,000 likes on Instagram, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw. Some netizens said IKEA is very creative in trendjacking the mooncake brand, while some joked about whether IKEA’s new mooncake set really has durian. 

This comes as mooncake brand “Meisun”, which claimed to be manufactured and sold in Hong Kong, has come under fire for allegedly misleading consumers about its origins.  

Don't miss: IKEA HK takes a jab at Meisun with durian mooncake promotion post

According to Chinese media reports such as The Paper, some mainland livestreamers have copped flak for promoting mooncake products under Meisun as the anchor emphasised the word "Hong Kong" when introducing the mooncake.   

The live commerce was initiated by “Crazy Little Yang Brother” and other Chinese influencers under the company of Three Sheep Holdings (Hong Kong) (三只羊), with Hong Kong celebrity Eric Tsang attending the opening ceremony of the company’s Hong Kong branch. During the event, Tsang and his daughter-in-law, Venus Wong, were seen actively engaging with the audience, contributing to the mooncake’s promotion.  

“Meisun” mooncakes have been a hit within the livestreaming sector as they generated over RMB 50 million in sales within the last 30 days on Douyin. Since reports regarding the scandal emerged, the Meisun mooncakes have been taken down on the livestreaming platform.  

However, netizens questioned whether this mooncake is a traditional Hong Kong brand as it is not available for sale online or offline. Later, some media confirmed from the manufacturer that the mooncakes were produced in Guangdong and were not currently sold in Hong Kong.   

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