Lee Kum Kee takes Asian culinary culture abroad with first global campaign

Lee Kum Kee is launching a global brand campaign, the first in its 137-year history, aiming to connect with its increasingly global customer base and appeal to new customers alike. 

The maker of Asian sauces and seasonings is partnering with DDB Group Hong Kong, to promote its brand on a global stage, highlighting the universal power of togetherness, tradition and shared culinary experiences.   

Also known as “Flavours that bind”, the eight-week campaign aims to connect people not just over the table, but through generations and across continents, with an important nod to the brand’s cultural significance. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Lee Kum Kee's spokesperson said the brand has a global presence but has yet to drive their marketing efforts as a singular global brand. "This global brand launch campaign is an introduction of the brand to those unfamiliar with it, as well as a reintroduction to those who grew up with and live with Lee Kum Kee products." 

"As such, the target audience is essentially segmented by familiarity and proximity to ‘the source’, i.e. our home market. From Chinese consumers in China, to Chinese consumers residing outside of China and the Asian markets at large, to Western mainstream consumers. This is not so much indicative of priorities, but rather the breadth of diversity in familiarity to brand, familiarity to Asian culinary culture, as well as general sensibilities, that we want to cover," added the spokesperson.

The brand has chosen Lunar New Year, a time when people around the world gather to share traditional dishes the world over, to launch its campaign. In doing so, and with its renewed brand communications platform, Lee Kum Kee not only promotes its sauces but also Asian culture and values, encouraging people to make connections during this time. 

A campaign film serves to remind people that while the delicious meals with Lee Kum Kee sauces may appear to be people connecting over food, it’s a stronger connection through culture and values that unite them.  

The brand film is amplified through out-of-home advertising including digital billboards in New York’s Times Square, London’s Outernet, the Shanghai No.1 Department Store and Hong Kong International Airport, as well as online and across social media. 

Alongside this global brand launch is a refreshed brand strategy that is encapsulated by the expression “Flavours that bind”, said the spokesperson. "The essence of which is built upon the idea that the food we share can transcend the table we share it on, connecting generations, diffusing cultures, bridging differences, across time and across borders."

As a campaign that is meant to be the first step in a long and sustaining journey, the brand's strategy was to narrow what it wanted to convey and how it wanted to make its audiences feel with intention and with discipline. "Across our breadth of target audience segments, we needed to reinforce the authenticity that the brand is known for, own its global influence, and establish its story around “Flavours that bind”; all the while, leverage the global attention that is drawn in by the festive season window of Lunar New Year, without allowing it to overshadow our brand launch campaign."

"We strived to achieve this through our voiced over narrative led manifesto film and a plethora of derivative assets. Starting with the familiar seasonal cues – family, table, gathering, food. Further contextualised with the changing times and shifting cultures, we then pivot to the bigger thought around the unchanging values that define us as a culture. Both an acknowledgement to those celebrating at home, as well as an invitation to those across oceans, the campaign embraces diversity through setting, people, and cuisine," added the spokesperson.

The deliberate mix of film and polaroid-like stills reinforced its story with authenticity, culminating in its core expression – “Flavours that bind”. "For a global brand launch campaign of this magnitude, we had put in the work and investment to match from asset development to media deployment, resulting in 114 adaptations, launched across 50+ platforms, in 17 languages, for 26 markets."

Doreen Cheng, chief marketing officer, Lee Kum Kee Sauce, said, “With the launch of our new brand campaign, Lee Kum Kee celebrates its evolution as a global gateway to Asian culinary culture, representing the diversity, richness, and expressivity of Asian flavors on a global stage.” 

“For us, ‘global’ is not restricted to geography – it’s an attitude of authentic inclusiveness, where the flavours, traditions, and togetherness we celebrate resonate universally, this spirit is at the heart of our campaign. Through the brand film, we aim to preserve our heritage while inspiring chefs and food lovers to connect with Asian cuisine in meaningful ways,” she added. 

Adrian Tso, chief strategy officer at DDB Group Hong Kong said, “It’s not every day you get the brief to take a home-grown Hong Kong brand to the world. This is exactly the kind of work we aspire to do more of. Our city and region have so much to offer, and it’s an exciting new era for Lee Kum Kee. We look forward to showcasing this phenomenal brand to audiences across the globe.” 

In addition to developing the campaign with DDB Group Hong Kong, Lee Kum Kee have partnered with FleishmanHillard offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, London and New York on PR to ensure resonance with the global audience, as well as Cedar HK for content management, and Havas Hong Kong for media.  

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