TamJai banks on social media sensation Santi to reach younger audiences

TamJai Yunnan Mixian (TamJai) has released a new online promotional video featuring ERROR boy band member Dee Gor and Santi, a 19-year-old foreign male employee from Hong Kong Disneyland, who recently shot to fame for his appearance and outlook.

According to multiple media reports such as am730 and HK01, Santi has become an internet sensation, with images and videos of him during photo sessions with costumed staff going viral on platforms, particularly Xiaohongshu. Some fans have dubbed him "Hong Kong Disneyland's most handsome employee" and sought him out as a celebrity checkpoint within the park.

Created in collaboration with creative agency Narrow Door and PR agency The Bridge Agency, the campaign is available from 3 April until 2 July 2024. The campaign comes along with the launch of its new limited-time fusion mixian product featuring braised ox tongue and stuffed tofu (牛脷‧釀豆腐配胡椒鮮番茄湯米線). This campaign also positions the brand as a pioneer in reimagining and redefining Chinese cuisine by offering creative fusion dishes.

A spokesperson from Tamjai told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the campaign targets millennials, Gen Z and culturally diverse, digitally savvy urban dwellers who seek unique flavours.

As part of the campaign, TamJai has launched a video on YouTube, capturing the spirit behind the dish. The video features a cooking relay race between Dee Gor and Santi. While Dee Gor is skilled in preparing Chinese dishes, Santi's expertise lies in Western flavors. In the end, they created a dish that combined elements of both Eastern and Western cuisines. The judges of the race, including TamJai's mascot TamJai Jeh Jeh, were pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

According to the spokesperson, while Dee Gor embodies TamJai's heritage as a local Mixian brand, Santi represents Western flavours as a European nobleman.

Additionally, TamJai organised a tasting event featuring Dee Gor, to which more than 80 media representatives and food influencers were invited. By engaging these influencers, TamJai aims to introduce a new iconic dish that appeals to both local and global audiences, driving brand awareness and sales internationally.

Winnie Chan, senior marketing manager, TamJai, said: "We strategically selected the casts with both domestic Yunnan and international lineages to embody the blended essence of our offering. Identifying Dee Gor, who has partial Yunnan heritage, and the pioneering selection of Santi represents an ingenious alignment of our brand equity with culturally diverse influencers."  

"Choosing Santi, in particular, demonstrates forward-thinking ingenuity to resonate across diverse demographics. The blended cultural backgrounds of the casts reflect the amalgamated innovation embodied in this new product. This campaign highlights our proficiency in cultivating and projecting a distinctive, multicultural brand image," Chan added.

Don't miss: TamJai sister brands and WWF add a touch of romance to Earth Hour 2024

Back in March, TamJai sister brands and Marugame Seimen in Hong Kong joined forces with Swiss-based NGO The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to add a touch of romance to this year’s Earth Hour campaign. 

The campaign aimed to raise awareness and inspire customers to embrace a sustainable lifestyle, aligning with TamJai’s ESG pillar of 'preserving nature'.  

Join us this coming 26 June for Content360 Hong Kong, a one-day-two-streams extravaganza under the theme of "Content that captivates". Get together with our fellow marketers to learn about AI in content creation, integration of content with commerce and cross-border targeting, and find the recipe for success within the content marketing world! 

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