Fairwood taps 17-year-old guitarist Dale to appeal to younger audience

Hong Kong-based fast food chain Fairwood has launched a new campaign to promote its limited-time product series, "thick-cut US pork cutlet" (啖啖肉脆爆豚皇), while rejuvenating the brand through everyday product activations.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a Fairwood spokesperson said the campaign, featuring the 17-year-old overnight sensation and guitarist Dale, will run for approximately two and a half months from 13 May to early August, combining the themes of "youth" and the product’s "crispiness" to attract young consumers.

"By this Pork Cutlet LTO, we aim to attract young consumers by combining the themes of "youth" (年輕 / 青春) and the product characteristic of "crispiness" (脆). This campaign is designed to help young people rediscover Fairwood and establish a deeper emotional connection with the brand."

Explaining the insights behind the campaign, the spokesperson said when thinking of youth, the brand immediately recalled two lines from local singer Nicholas Tse’s famous song: ‘Young enough to be as crispy as a wafer when facing anyone’ (年輕得碰著誰亦能像威化般乾脆). "This perfectly aligns with the ‘youth’ theme and the product’s ‘crispiness’. Additionally, the lyric ‘Be happy until you grow one year older every day’ (快活到每日大一歲) resonates strongly with Fairwood’s Chinese name pronunciation," the spokesperson added.

The launch of the "Pork Cutlet" coincides with Tse's concert, and his guitarist Dale was immediately recognised as the ideal spokesperson for this campaign, added the spokesperson. The campaign is done in partnership with creative agency Hardchi Creative.

To amplify the campaign, traditional media such as TV, newspapers and out-of-home advertising (OOH) are leveraged. While Fairwood does not own any social media platforms, the campaign aims to leverage Dale's social media presence and online discourse to convey the brand and campaign messages to the younger market.

On the launch day of the "pork cutlet" series, Dale shared the advertisement and her experience of her first commercial shoot on her social media platforms, further capturing young audiences’ attention. The campaign generated widespread attention, establishing a strong online presence for Fairwood and creating opportunities to connect with young consumers and boost brand exposure.

Looking ahead, the second phase of the campaign, scheduled for late June, will introduce new products and promotions.

"Creating a tagline that’s instantly recognisable and associated with our products is every brand’s goal!I knew that the campaign had great potential. Every year, when people hear this, they will know the ‘Thick-cut US pork cutlet’ series is back! Additionally, the brand's first advertisement in 1997 featured the debut of Tse, and now we have the opportunity to feature Dale, who gained fame from Nicholas’ concert. It’s a clever coincidence," said Adwin Lau, Fairwood’s marketing director. “

"As a homegrown Hong Kong brand, we hope to use our resources to support new talents and create a win-win situation for both them and the brand. We are also delighted to see many positive comments about this campaign on social media!” Lau added.

“I believe that having a keen market sense and the ability to respond quickly are key to the success of any creative individual and agency! From the concert to the campaign launch, there was only about two weeks in between. This was thanks to the creative team’s sharp insight into Dale’s overnight fame and the Account Servicing team’s quick communication with her management," said Roy Ha, founder of Hardchi Creative.

"Coupled with the client's trust, we were able to overturn the originally approved concept and bring this campaign to life. We are also very grateful to Dale for accepting the invitation; this is her first time as an ambassador, and we look forward to seeing this talented 17-year-old shine even brighter in the future!” Ha added.

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