Zhang Liang malatang campaign: Key takeaways
- Zhang Liang has visited Zhangliang Malatang, becoming boss for a day at the chain that shares his name
- Franchisees helped build anticipation with banners and posters inviting the actor to visit
- The encounter turns years of mistaken identity into a fan-led campaign
For years, consumers have assumed that actor and model Zhang Liang (张亮) had something to do with Zhangliang Malatang (张亮麻辣烫). The names are the same, and Chinese celebs aren’t shy about putting their name to a restaurant chain. The connection was pure coincidence.
It’s the sort of coincidence that begs a crossover campaign, and finally we’ve got it
It’s the sort of coincidence that begs a crossover campaign, and finally we’ve got it. Zhang Liang clocked in for a day. The celebrity visited the chain’s Shanghai headquarters and became boss for the day.
The idea for the Shanghai stunt came after activation down south. While in Foshan (佛山), Zhang Liang, the actor, passed a branch of Zhang Liang, the restaurant chain, and thought he might try it. Franchisees responded with banners and posters inviting him over. Social media users encouraged him to make good on the suggestion.
There was some work waiting when he arrived. Zhang put on a name badge and received greetings of boss. He got his hands dirty cutting vegetables and was finally allowed to eat. Both sides shared videos to give followers a look at the encounter they’d be pushing for.
The Dao view: Giving fans the collaboration they asked for
These kinds of collaborations come around once in a while and they’re always nice to see. Fan engagement is such a strong place to build a campaign from. Audiences already know the joke, they’re already in on the story.
Audiences already know the joke, they’re already in on the story
There’s always a very satisfying conclusion too. Essentially the fans get what they want, and that feeling is one worth sharing. For another great example of this, look to Horsh Bread’s work with Luo Zheng.
They actually gave a celebrity a job after he admitted he was broke. It’s not quite the same as making Zhang Liang boss for a day, but the results are the same: shareable, genuinely engaging brand stories.
