Ribena targets office workers in TV campaign

The 20-second ad promotes Iced Lemon Ribena, a ready-to-drink brand extension, as an option for workers on their lunchbreak.

The ad drive, created by Grey Hong Kong, is backed by point-of-sale material in major lunchtime cafeterias. It launched on 1 August.

The choice of cafeterias marks a shift in approach for the brand, which has previously used supermarkets, convenience stores and other food outlets for promotional work. “This time around we have used cafeterias as they are part of the lives of most Hong Kong people,” said Danny Mok, MD of Grey Hong Kong.

Ribena is widely seen in Hong Kong as a drink for children and the unwell.

The ad depicts the busy life of an office lady who has to continue working when having lunch in a cafeteria. When she mistakes a chicken leg for a mobile phone, a colleague introduces her to Iced Lemon Ribena as a means for relaxation from work.

“These people usually lead a busy life in the morning and they treat lunch as a time for mental or even physical relaxation,” said Mok.

Grey has worked with GSK globally for the past 18 years. Media duties on the Ribena campaign were handled by MediaCom. The two agencies have also used a cafeteria theme for another GSK brand, Horlicks. That campaign is ongoing.