In December 2020, Ele.me and Hanyi fonts launched a clever and punny collaboration on delivery bags. Ele.me (饿了么) is one of the largest online food delivery platforms in China, and a successful example of the O2O model. Hanyi Fonts (汉仪字库), founded in 1993 in Beijing. Hanyi Fonts specializes in e-font design and development, as well as Chinese character research.
The brands posted the video “What did you eat for lunch today?” (今天中午吃什么). In China, the food ordering industry is very popular, and more and more restaurants are developing their businesses thanks to food delivery. The two brands launched a co-branded cotton food delivery bag, adding interesting gift boxes inside. This bag could be purchased by participating in a draw, or by purchasing it on the Hanyi Font Mini Program in WeChat, or at the Tao Bao shop Guo Fen QiXiangju (国风气象局) (Price from￥19-￥198).
4 gift boxes of Ele.me and Hanyi Fonts
1. The first gift box was titled “Do you have a significant other?” (有对象了么), with the slogan “Don’t eat alone, but with your partner.” Inside the box was a brooch in the shape of two elephants. Why elephants? Because the word Dui Xiang (对象 pair, partner) is homophonous with the word DaXiang (大象 elephant).
2. The second box – “Did you get a red packet?” (领红包了么), with the slogan “Don’t just eat, but also get a red packet.” Inside, you could find a handy red belt wallet.
3. The third box – “Have you been slacking off at work?” (摸鱼了么). This is a pun based on the internet slang term for slacking off “摸鱼”, which literally means to rub or touch a fish but among Chinese netizens, it means to slack off at work and pretend you are busy.
4. The fourth and final box is “Hungry?” (饿了么), with the slogan “Don’t just be hungry, but eat together” (不只要吃还要云吃). This message encourages you to eat with a friend or relatives over a video call or show people what you eat during a live broadcast. Additionally, the inside included a lunch calendar for 2021, as well as important stationery for study and spelling of ancient Chinese characters.
The collaboration of Ele.me and Hanyi Fonts was short-lived. Despite this, many Ele.me users purchased a gift bag and shared their impressions on social media on Weibo, Kuaishou, and Zhihu, giving an overall long-lasting impression on consumers.
Author: Erkeaiym Kylymbekova
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