What began as a playful brand battle between China’s top food delivery platforms has turned into a full-blown color war—now with JD.com entering the ring.
It started when Meituan teamed up with singer Isabelle Huang Ling in a campaign that played on her name. In Mandarin, “Huang” means yellow (Meituan’s brand color), while “Ling” sounds like “ingenious,” inspiring the slogan: “Huang de Ling—choose yellow and smart.” In response, Ele.me brought on actress Lan Yingying, whose name loosely translates to “blue win win,” fueling the yellow-versus-blue showdown.
Then came the twist. Netizens suggested JD.com, known for its red branding, complete the trio by inviting Hong Kong actress Kara Wai Ying Hung—whose surname “Hung” also means red in Chinese. JD.com took the hint. To fans’ delight, Wai appeared as the campaign’s face with the bold, cheeky slogan: “Red Will Win.“
Wai joined the fun on Weibo, jokingly thanking fans for “securing the endorsement.” Online, users compared the campaign to a playground scuffle, with others calling it “marketing at its most delightfully simple.” Some even proposed that Meituan take it further by inviting actress Huang Shengyi—whose name could mean “yellow wins again.”
As part of the campaign, Wai picked the new Huawei Pura 80 series phone for a fan giveaway. Users can search “Red Will Win” on JD.com to access the product page and enter a prize draw. The collaboration also serves as an early push for JD.com’s 618 Shopping Festival, boosting awareness for Huawei’s launch while strengthening JD.com’s position in the digital and electronics market.