Sweetness overload: Roundup of mooncake campaigns from HK brands

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, families in Asia enjoy sharing mooncakes, and celebrating togetherness with tasty round treats. Who doesn’t love bonding over deliciousness?

Meanwhile, many brands in Hong Kong are embracing the marketing opportunity of the Mid-Autumn Festival by launching a variety of mooncake campaigns to celebrate reunions. Some restaurants and hotels are putting a fresh spin on traditional mooncakes such as Chun Shui Tong, while other organisations are launching donation programmes to share love and support with vulnerable communities throughout the city.

Let's take a look at some of the outstanding mooncake campaigns developed by brands and organisations in Hong Kong, rounded up by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE this Mid-Autumn Festival.

Chun Shui Tang

Taiwanese teahouse chain Chun Shui Tang (春水堂) has partnered with Island Shangri-La’s Chinese restaurant Summer Palace (夏宮) to launch mooncake sets featuring a bubble milk tea flavour.

The set features two flavours of mooncakes, including a traditional dried tangerine peel red bean mooncake and a Chun Shui Tang Tieguanyin black sugar bubble milk tea mooncake (鐵觀音黑糖珍珠奶茶月餅) topped with the Chinese character "春." The mooncake also contains pearls inside.

Additionally, the mooncake set comes in packaging inspired by Chun Shui Tang's tea takeaway cups, featuring a handle that eliminates the need for an extra paper bag. This design aims to be both creative and environmentally friendly.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Chun Shui Tang for more information. 

Feeding Hong Kong

While mooncakes are very popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is nearly impossible to consume the vast quantity gifted throughout the season. It is estimated that more than 3.2 million mooncakes are wasted every year in Hong Kong, according to the local foodbank Feeding Hong Kong (樂餉社).

In response, the foodbank has launched a mooncake donation campaign to prevent waste by redistributing mooncakes to vulnerable communities across Hong Kong. Also known as “Mooncake madness 2024”, the campaign aims to reduce food waste and share the festive blessing with the vulnerable community.

A spokesperson from Feeding Hong Kong told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the campaign targets the general public for surplus mooncake donations and corporations for office mooncake collections.

While this annual campaign has been running since 2018, this year, Feeding Hong Kong is promoting mooncake donations alongside a food waste-related exhibition at Landmark East in Kwun Tong. The campaign has established a festive community collection point for general donations.

According to the spokesperson, the campaign is promoted online through digital marketing channels, including Facebook ads to increase engagement and press releases for more exposure.

In terms of ROI measurement, the spokesperson said it will leverage its database and compare the data with the previous year to evaluate the campaign's results.

NOC Coffee Co. 

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, local specialty coffee brand NOC Coffee Co. has teamed up with traditional Chinese bakery brand Kee Wah Bakery (奇華餅家) to create a set of coffee-infused custard mooncakes, bringing a refreshing twist to the celebration with coffee.

A spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it has been seeking partnerships with like-minded brands, especially local ones. “We share the same vision with Kee Wah Bakery, prioritising quality above all. From our products to our services, we always focus on delivering excellence to meet consumer needs and expectations,” the spokesperson said.

The full set includes two coffee custard mooncakes made with NOC Coffee Co’s house blend No. 18, as well as two mooncakes filled with raspberry and sweet-and-sour Australian raspberry jam, creating a balance of flavours with aromatic coffee in every bite.

While it is traditional to enjoy mooncakes with tea to balance their richness, this set includes a brewed coffee drip bag, offering customers a new way to pair coffee with mooncakes and enhance the flavours.

Pane e Latte

Following brands such as Chun Shui Tang and NOC Coffee Co. that add new elements to traditional mooncakes, Pirata Group’s panetteria Pane e Latte has delighted Hongkongers this Mid-Autumn Festival with its Bomboloni (Italian doughnut) set.

Targeting families, couples, and individuals, the Bomboloni set aims to create a sense of anticipation and excitement around the Mid-Autumn celebrations by offering something unique and unexpected through the Bomboloni set, according to a spokesperson from Pane e Latte. 

Available until 17 September, the "mooncake set" features six vanilla-filled bomboloni made from a blend of nine Italian flours, designed to offer a moment of pure indulgence and sweetness for customers to enjoy with their loved ones while appreciating the beauty of the season.

The mooncake set is promoted through social media and press release. In terms of ROI measurement, the spokesperson said it assesses sales, media coverage, and social media engagement.

Starstreet Precinct

Starstreet Precinct, a neighbourhood in Wan Chai managed by Swire Properties, has partnered with local cartoon characters Mr. and Mrs. Moon to unveil various decorations, exclusive shopping rewards, and giveaways for this Mid-Autumn Festival.

Designed by local illustrator Mrs. Moon, the characters consist of two human-shaped bodies with arms and legs and big moon-shaped heads—one in a yellow moon colour and the other in an eclipse blue colour.

A spokesperson for Starstreet Precinct told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that Mr and Mrs Moon were chosen as partners due to their popularity and connection with the community.

Also known as the “Moon Moon dance party”, the initiative is available until 22 September. It targets young families, couples, as well as individuals who have a keen interest in art and lifestyle experiences. “We are particularly focused on Gen Z and Millennials who seek photogenic spots and a relaxed atmosphere, as well as the office crowd in the Wan Chai and Admiralty areas, and residents in the vicinity of Starstreet Precinct,” the spokesperson said. 

Visitors can enjoy interactive installations featuring Mr n Mrs Moon, including photo opportunities and themed decorations. Additionally, the campaign has launched various exclusive merchandise, along with dining vouchers for designated restaurants, and limited giveaway items. These exclusive offerings aim to enhance the festive atmosphere and provide memorable keepsakes for its guests, according to the spokesperson.

The campaign has adopted an array of promotional mediums to reach a broad audience and effectively engage the community. These include print advertising, digital platforms, social media campaigns, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising. 

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