Taikoo sweet talks HK with wacky ad rollout

HONG KONG: Taikoo has unveiled a series of wacky television commercials to accompany its new product launches as the brand moves to sweeten the image of its core sugar product. The company, part of the Swire Group of Companies, is best-known in Asia as the producer of white sugar for coffee and tea. But despite a history of almost 120 years and the fact that it has the largest share of the sugar market in Hong Kong and mainland China as well as sizeable market shares in other Asian countries, North America and the Middle East, Taikoo is currently looking to further strengthen its consumer brand image and awareness in Hong Kong. The television blitz, initially playing only to Chinese audiences via terrestrial stations TVB and ATV, employs a total of nine 15-second television spots, which are supported by point-of-sale promotions. The commercials, produced by Saatchi & Saatchi, include a man picking a piglet out of his nose, a doll being attacked by a toy shark, a television news anchor losing her wig while on-air and a bound and gagged woman surrounded by gun-toting, evil-looking teddy bears. All the TVCs end with the word "Surprise" followed by a mention of one of Taikoo's new products, such as cinnamon sugar, chocolate sugar and sparkle sugar. Saatchis regional executive creative director Craig Davis said the main challenge was to give a premium feel to a product which most people take for granted. "The problem with sugar is that people don't really notice it. It's an ingredient and a commodity, which is almost completely invisible because to many people it is something that is always there. "You cannot educate people who are not interested in the subject so the strategy was to surprise them," he said. The concept behind the commercials were developed to give people a double surprise within a 15-second period. The TVCs jump out at people at the beginning because of the bizarre and wacky imagery. The second surprise at the end is the advertising punchline which highlights the fact that Taikoo produces and sells a range of sugars, not just the regular white sugar for tea and coffee that most people associate the company with. Davis said that the campaign would give Taikoo - which also dominates the Hong Kong catering market - a more high-profile and fun image. "The TVCs make a leadership statement for Taikoo to underline the fact that it is proactive, dynamic and innovative and it is meeting market demands for new products," he said. The campaign kicks off this week and is expected to run for about three months, according to the agency. The first burst will use four to five executions, with the remainder gradually rolling out after that.

Sign In

Trouble signing in?

Reset Password: Click here

Contact Customer Support at

Customerservice@campaignasia.com