Sunkist Taps Into Traditional Chinese Medicine to Showcase the Benefits of California-Grown Citrus in Hong Kong
Sunkist Growers Inc. is tapping into the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to show citrus in a new light.
Hong Kong is the city that never sleeps. The demanding lifestyle impacts the general health of Hong Kongers, and as a result, the wellbeing industry is booming. But people are moving beyond the ‘trendy’ wellness practices seen all around the globe and are starting to look back at ancient Eastern methodologies in a quest to balance their ‘qi’ energy.
Working in partnership with Edelman Hong Kong, Sunkist saw an opportunity to show Hong Kongers how citrus can help with their wellbeing, while preserving some of the region’s oldest TCM recipes. In this unexpected move away from the familiar stories of Vitamin C, the brand has created the Sunkist Citric Essence, a qi balancing formula, and launched a platform for people to share and preserve their own unique recipes, thereby educating Hong Kongers on the health benefits of the Sunkist® Navel orange in the world of TCM.
The California citrus cooperative enlisted local Chinese Medicine practitioner Dr. Winson Poon, Master of Chinese Medicine from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to develop this new elixir. The concoction has been designed to battle a modern-day issue in Hong Kong: the ‘seasonal slump’, a weariness and lowering of energy caused by the city’s humidity and constant changes in pressure and temperature, as people move between the airconditioned indoors and the warm outdoors. The TCM-formula was released online as an open recipe for anyone to easily recreate and start enjoying the benefits of California-grown citrus at home.
“As we partner with Sunkist to celebrate its 130th anniversary, we are taking inspiration from generations-old traditional Chinese herbology and adding a California-grown orange twist to it – maximising the flavourful experience and health benefits our citrus brings to the table,” said John Koay, regional executive creative director at Edelman.
“Wellness is a big trend in Hong Kong, and Traditional Chinese Herbology should be at the center of this. Applying our ancient profession to more modern needs is a way to keep our profession relevant to young Hong Kongers,” Dr. Winson Poon explains. “Oranges, when paired with the right ingredients, can regulate qi-flow to remove dampness from the body and aid digestion. Inspired by traditional folk wisdom and modernised Chinese medicinal knowledge, we are reimagining the California-grown orange, unlocking its full benefits for Hong Kongers to combat the hustle and bustle of the city.”
This seasonal campaign sees the formula being distributed around the city through a series of trials and sampling events with the public and local influencers; livestream Q&As on social media platforms; a series of TCM recipes from Dr. Poon; plus Chefluencer partnerships and the adoption of an online platform for people to also share their own family recipes that have been passed down for generations.
“We hope this modern formula gives consumers a new reason to explore the benefits of Traditional Chinese Therapy and the benefits of Sunkist’s California-grown citrus,” John added.
