Café de Coral taps Gen Z slang to reimagine breakfast ritual

Hong Kong fast-food chain Café de Coral has partnered with dentsu Hong Kong to launch a new breakfast campaign, injecting fresh, feel-good energy into the brand’s signature scrambled egg offering. The campaign reimagines breakfast as a simple yet meaningful way to reset and start the day on the right note.

The idea builds on Café de Coral’s long-standing place in Hongkongers’ daily routines, refreshed through a contemporary lens. It also marks the launch of the brand’s new platform, “Hong Kong flavour is a must 港味要有,” which celebrates the everyday tastes, rituals, and moments essential to Hong Kong life.

“Hong Kong flavour is a must” draws inspiration from a popular Cantonese Gen Z slang “MNYY (Must-need-要有)”, a phrase used to describe everyday essentials that are non-negotiable. Framed through this insight, the campaign anchored on “A great start is a must（靚早要有）”, a wholesome breakfast not merely as a meal, but as a feel-good ritual that helps people get into the right headspace before the campaign sets the tone for how Café de Coral will continue to celebrate local taste and everyday relevance through future brand initiatives.

To bring the message to life, the campaign stars rising pop artist Egg Wong（阿蛋), creating a playful cultural wink by using “Egg” to promote egg. The name alignment adds an instantly recognisable hook, turning a familiar product into a light-hearted conversation starter that resonates with younger audiences who value humour, relatability and authenticity.

The campaign is currently live until end of April across a wide mix of media channels, including television, print, outdoor, third-party social, programmatic display and in-store touchpoints, bringing the campaign’s “A great start is a must” message to audiences across Hong Kong.

“As Hong Kongers’ canteen, Café de Coral is dedicated to delivering great value by bringing comforting flavours made with quality ingredients. Using Hokkaido 3.6 milk in our scrambled egg breakfast set gives it the smooth, creamy richness our customers cherish,” said Angel Tam, marketing director, Café de Coral. “This campaign with dentsu Hong Kong reflects how we continue to evolve with the new generation, from refreshing our taste profiles to understanding what they enjoy, while remaining true to who we are as a brand.”

Timothy Li, executive creative director, dentsu Hong Kong, added, “Instead of leaning on predictable breakfast cues, we wanted to focus on an emotional, everyday moment, a simple self-treat that can reset your mood and set the tone for the day. Wong’s energy helped us reframe breakfast as a mindset rather than a routine. Rooted in Cantonese slang, pop-culture casting and real dining behaviours, the idea demonstrates how cultural insight enables brands to stay relevant in people’s daily lives.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to dentsu for more information. 

Back in 2024, Café de Coral raised awareness of the brand’s commitment to sustainability with a new breakfast campaign. At the heart of this latest breakfast campaign, five captivating videos took centre stage, starring Hong Kong’s iconic Cantopop duo, Twins, which was formed by local singers Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung.

Mark your calendars for 24 June! #Content360 Hong Kong returns with a dynamic, one-day event dedicated to pivotal trends—from the silver economies to breakthrough IP collaborations, sports, and beyond. Let's dive into the art of curating content with creativity, critical thinking and confidence!

Related articles:

Café de Coral distributes 18,000 soft meal vouchers to HK’s elderly
Café de Coral promotes iconic product, and offers new items in campaign