Hong Kong – Lee Kum Kee has teamed up with creative agency Grey Hong Kong to launch its first-ever instant noodle line — a bold debut into the instant food category, backed by a campaign that injects journalistic flair into the world of cup noodle advertising.
Best known for its sauces and heritage in Chinese cuisine, Lee Kum Kee’s new ‘Full Meal Bowl Noodles’ offer real ingredients, a non-fried noodle base, and the brand’s signature sauces, positioning it as a more complete alternative to typical cup noodles.
Grey Hong Kong led the launch campaign, overseeing product positioning, packaging, and messaging. Emphasising authenticity, the campaign was built around the Cantonese phrase [有真料], which translates to “the real deal” — a nod to both the product’s ingredients and the approach to its promotion.
Central to the campaign is a newsroom-style launch film, where fictional reporters inspect the noodles with a level of scrutiny more commonly associated with investigative journalism.
The campaign extended to out-of-home placements across the city, designed to resemble newspaper pages. These executions featured layered headlines and in-depth copy, inviting the public to engage with the brand’s story beyond a traditional ad format.
“Normally, cup noodles come with promises. This one comes with proof. We knew it had to launch with the same honesty and pride Lee Kum Kee puts into every product. In a world full of shortcuts, this felt like something worth talking about,” said Eric Lin, general manager at Lee Kum Kee, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
May Chan, group creative director at Grey Hong Kong, added, “This was more than just a campaign — it was a celebration of innovation. The idea of ‘the real deal’ kept surfacing. Not just in the ingredients but in the way the product demanded to be noticed.”
