Bao Dim Sin Seng’s hot streak: How a 15th anniversary campaign took Asia by storm

Earlier last year, one humble local brand created quite the stir and saw thousands of hot buns flying off the shelves accompanied by a 150% KPI overachievement for the campaign - such was the masterstroke of Bao Dim Sin Seng in celebration of its15th anniversary. The campaign took home the Outstanding Award for Best Integrated Campaign in Asia at the Yahoo Asia BIC Awards 2024 and we recently caught up with Agnes Lung (pictured), executive director, group chief marketing and digital officer from Uni-China Group to reminisce and pick out its learnings one year on.

Recognising the challenge to revitalise a brand with a long-standing history and tradition, Lung believed it however does not stand in contradiction to staying relevant. Bao Dim Sin Seng’s 15^th anniversary campaign outlined two ways in doing so – connecting and engaging through emotions, and innovation.

The campaign was a birthday celebration and by sharing hot buns, many people got to join in the fun and share the happiness, forging a connection with an otherwise every day, consume-and-forget brand. It is safe to say Bao Dim Sin Seng not only warmed bellies but also hearts this time.

The other aspects of innovation can be seen in the campaign through and through – from the recipes and products, to marketing and customer engagement. “Our mission has always been to preserve tradition while infusing new ideas into our brand… our push for creativity from new crossover recipes, to the use of AI technology, even to how we imagine our marketing and down to experimenting with first-in-market media formats with our partners at Yahoo.” Lung summarised.

And did these work wonders for a brand that Lung admits being at times perceived as “traditional,” “old-fashioned,” and “conventional.”

The campaign generated over HK$270 million in media value, with thousands of their limited-edition ‘Spicy Pork Cabbage Buns’ claimed within a day (the fastest store ran out in three minutes). Additionally, a widespread coupon distribution saw a redemption rate of approximately 1 in 5, further driving revenue.

Sometimes simplicity works.

Or is it that simple?

When we quizzed Lung on what makes a good integrated campaign, she said it is basically "how you say what, in where, to whom and for what". While the "what-s" are the messages of anniversary celebration and offer, Bao Dim Sin Seng employed “Happy Birthday KOL” Massimo Ambrosini, a figure entrenched in the collective memory of Hong Kong for the “how”, and generated significant buzz and momentum for the campaign. As for “where and who,” the team went with the media environment provided by Yahoo for its strong reach to young adults and tapped into     the Yahoo App for a ready-made membership redemption solution to drive traffic from online engagement to our physical stores.

We asked if these type of campaigns was going to be a one-time thing, but Lung said it actually sparked a transformation internally and is optimistic about keeping the spirit long term. “(The) success (of the campaign) encourages our team to continue pushing boundaries and to take the brand in a more innovative direction because we see that innovation works.” Lung enthused.

As there is no talk of innovation without mentioning AI, Bao Dim Sin Seng also experimented with artificial intelligence to create unique visuals and campaign ideas. In the second phase of the campaign, Bao Dim Sin Seng collaborated with the charity NGO "Food Angel" to distribute rice vouchers. The Yahoo Creative team used AI-generated visuals and leveraged auto-pushdown billboards on Yahoo Homepage to deliver an impactful message.

Lung envisions a future where customer engagements are enhanced by the ability of AI to personalise messages and switch up ad creatives that speaks best to individual customers based on data and real-time learnings. For instance, it helped this particular campaign’s click-through rate on desktop and mobile exceed the vertical benchmark by 44% and 26%, respectively. Sophisticated algorithms and rich consumer data allows an omni-channel personalisation engagement.

This however cannot be done without human marketers, as their focus continues to shift towards formulating clear campaign objectives and crafting a compelling brand message that is grounded in localised insights and cultural relevance – AI will supercharge and find the perfect tune, but human remains the conductor.

Yet the path forward is surprisingly simple for Lung.

"Our product is our best marketing, so we will prioritise menu innovation and seasonal promotions… we are passionate about merging innovation with tradition in more deliciously unexpected ways in 2025. Our goal is to continuously inspire and surprise our customers with imaginative product ideas that they never saw coming – (We want to) be a culinary journey that blends nostalgia with a fresh twist."

Bao Dim Sin Seng 15^th Anniversary Campaign received the Outstanding Award for Best Integrated Campaign at Yahoo Asia BIC Awards 2024. The campaign is done in collaboration with Yahoo and Yahoo App Rewards.

This article is sponsored by Yahoo HK.