HK brands trendjack 'Jayden' reels mocking mixed English-Cantonese mum talk

Brands in Hong Kong have trendjacked an Instagram Reel series by two influencers that sarcastically mock how some local mothers awkwardly mix English and Cantonese in unnatural sentence structures.

The series consists of five Reels created by two influencers, Matthew (@matthewpwj_) and Janice (@janicewanwan), starting in February. They exaggerate daily conversations between mothers and their children in situations such as theme parks, buffets, family gatherings with cousins, and supermarkets.

Using popular names such as Jayden, Hailey, and Katherine, the influencers' interpretation of some parents forcing simple English words into their sentences has sparked discussions among netizens. 

Some iconic conversations include “Jayden，媽咪 told you呀，食唔曬唔好攞咁多，too much啦，wasted呀” (Jayden, Mommy told you—if you can't finish it, don't take so much. It's too much, what a waste), “Jayden，媽咪話呢個 ice cream唔可以 put 喺呢度，個 table 會污糟㗎” (Jayden, mommy says you can't put this ice cream here, the table will get dirty”, "Jayden，你攞人啲嘢食之前有冇做好 hygiene 呀？" ("Jayden, before you take other people's food, did you practice good hygiene?"

With the reels receiving millions of views and thousands of likes on Instagram, many netizens said the influencers' imitation was spot-on. Some even commented using the same tone as the influencers.

The “Jayden trend” has gone so viral that many brands have also jumped on it by posting on Threads. Examples include Pizza Hut, Fortress, Swipe, and Lady M. They are using a more down-to-earth approach to connect with young consumers.

Fortress

Home appliance retailer Fortress has joined the conversation on Threads by using the same tone as the influencers in the reels. It pretended to be the mother and asked her son if he wanted a computer, but only if he promised not to spend all his time playing video games. The post said:

"Jayden, do you want a computer? But you have to promise Mami you won't just focus on playing games, okay?" (Jayden，你係咪want部computer呀？但你要promise mami唔可以掛住玩games㗎喎，知唔知呀？)

The post promotes Fortress eShop's student offer, which fits well with the role-play between the mother and her son, Jayden. The post has received over 16,000 views and 610 likes, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE confirmed. 

Lady M Hong Kong

Lady M Hong Kong has joined the conversation on Threads by using the tone of a mother talking to her son, Jayden. The post awkwardly and intentionally mixes English into Cantonese sentences. The mum tells Jayden that this is the "one last time" he can eat gelato, otherwise he will cough and need to see a doctor.

The post says: "Jayden! How many times has Mami told you not to eat so much gelato? If you start coughing again later, we'll have to go see the doctor. Okay, one last time — you can eat it this once! But you have to finish your milk for me, no wasting, okay? And you have to share with Hailey too." (Jayden！Mami同你講咗幾多次唔可以食咁多gelato？一陣番去咳咳又要go to see doctor喇～ 拿one last time，食埋今次好喇！你要同我finish咗支milk佢，唔可以浪費，ok? 仲要同Hailey share喎～)

The post has received over 73,000 views, 1,300 likes and 790 shares, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE confirmed. 

Pizza Hut Hong Kong

Pizza Hut Hong Kong has used the most popular names from the reels, Jayden and Hailey, to act out a mother mixing English and Cantonese while telling her kids she would take them to eat at Pizza Hut. This was done to promote its buy-one-get-one-free pizza promotion.

According to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the post received over 330,000 views, 14,000 likes, and 6,000 shares on Threads.

Swipe 

Household cleaning product brand Swipe has also jumped on the "Jayden trend" by creating a discount code called "jayden" for customers.

In its Threads post, Swipe said it wanted to say something to "Jayden mami": Sometimes Jayden may make her feel angry, but he is just a child. Being too harsh could affect Jayden's mental health and also make her unhappy. So if Jayden makes her angry again—for example, if he is unhygienic—she can use the discount code "jayden" to buy Swipe products and solve the hygiene problem. "與其要自己angry到成隻dinosaur咁......不如喺4月13號之前用優惠碼Jayden去SWIPE嘅website 用9折買走SWIPE and baby SWIPE嘅產品，幫你搞好Jayden嘅hygiene啦！"

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!

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