TamJai and Grandma's Scones highlight creative twist in new collab

TamJai Yunnan Mixian (TamJai) has partnered with pastry brand Grandma's Scones to launch limited-edition scones that offer a creative twist on its signature dishes. 

Through this partnership, TamJai aims to reach customers who may not be familiar with the brand, encouraging them to visit and give it a try.

A spokesperson from Grandma's Scones told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the idea behind the collaboration is to reinvent TamJai taste into a new delectable treat, reflecting its mission: "Dare to excite, delight every bite". “So we planned to surprise customers’ palates with elements they would never expect, that is Hong Kong-styled flavours mixed with Western pastry, creating anticipation and bringing excitement to everyone." 

These limited-edition scones are infused with the signature flavours of TamJai’s dishes such as sliced pork belly with mashed garlic (蒜泥白肉), century egg in Sichuan style (四川青椒皮蛋), minced pork in Northern and homemade pickles (酸菜炸醬) and TuFei chicken wings (土匪雞翼). 

To promote the collaboration, TamJai and Grandma's Scones have collaborated with local creative agency Hardchi Creative to develop a holistic strategy featuring various touchpoints for the campaign rollout.

To spark conversations on social media, TamJai has adopted the theme of "TamJai is recruiting new members" (譚仔椒人) as a teaser. In turn, Grandma’s Scones has shared a post indicating that she was seeking a job due to the economic downturn. Additionally, TamJai has released an animated video on social media depicting how TamJai Jeh Jeh and Grandma connect at the “Mala job fair” (「嫲」辣招聘會).

Extending beyond its store, the collaboration has brought to the pop-up event at K11 Art Mall running until 1 December. It features a "job fair" theme centred around recruiting new Jeh Jehs, allowing participants to experience what it takes to become a TamJai Jeh Jeh. They have to complete various interviews and tests related to the brand, such as spiciness blind tastings and TamJai dialect listening, all in an interactive format. In addition to TamJai elements, the pop-up event has incorporated job-hunting aspects throughout the journey to resonate with local audience.

As part of the collaboration, a series of merchandise featuring TamJai Jeh Jeh and Grandma’s Scones has been launched, including t-shirts, caps, aprons, cups, plates and tote bags. These items are available for purchase at the pop-up store.

To further engage with the audience, TamJai has launched social content promotion feeds. TamJai has also opened a threads account to support the campaign.

Don't miss: TamJai immerses consumers in 'Veggie' world to promote green menu 

Back in September, TamJai International (TJI) launched various initiatives encouraging customers to “rethink healthy” as part of its green menu relaunch campaign.

The campaign aligns with its core focus on nourishing communities as part of its ESG strategy, said Ronald Wong, CMO of TamJai International in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. Its key brands in Hong Kong, including TamJai Yunnan Mixian and TamJai SamGor Mixian, have consistently worked on green menu initiatives, reducing food waste, and positively impacting underprivileged groups through various food donation programmes.

Running from 19 September until the end of December 2024 as the first phase of the programme, the campaign targets office workers, TamJai’s fans and anyone keen to lead a healthy lifestyle. Meanwhile, more customer engagement initiatives focused on healthy eating will be rolled out in 2025.

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