Black & White celebrates 85 years with citywide takeover

FrieslandCampina’s evaporated milk brand, Black & White, has launched a multi-phase campaign to celebrate its 85th anniversary, transforming its deep-rooted business heritage into an emotional, consumer-facing tribute to Hong Kong culture.

Recognised as the undisputed soul of local cha chaan teng dining, the brand is using this milestone to bridge generational gaps, engage tourists, and elevate its presence from a household product to a living cultural symbol. Featuring the new thematic tagline, “The true taste of Hong Kong experience is right here,” the initiative blends heritage nostalgia with modern lifestyle experiences to honour the shared micro-moments of everyday Hong Kong life.

The celebration kicked off with a visual disruption across Victoria Harbour, where the brand wrapped Dukling—Hong Kong’s last remaining antique junk boat—in its signature branding. Passengers on this unique sea journey sampled authentic Black & White milk tea, creating an instant social media buzz that successfully funneled massive foot traffic to an onshore interactive experience at the K11 MUSEA Promenade.

The land-based exhibition featured immersive installations, naked-eye 3D technology, AI photo booths, and a history gallery showcasing how the brand has accompanied generations of locals. A popular memorabilia pop-up store accompanied the installation, offering exclusive merchandise such as mini building blocks, classic upsized teacups, and custom umbrellas.

To expand its reach beyond traditional tea shops, Black & White pushed the boundaries of local dining culture through a cross-industry premiumisation partnership. The brand collaborated with award-winning mixologist Suki Ma to bring classic Hong Kong flavours into a luxury hospitality setting, crafting sophisticated "Yuen Yeung" cocktails and mocktails at the Sheraton Hong Kong’s Sky Lounge.

Offline momentum was further sustained through a gamified loyalty loop across more than 1,000 cha chaan teng locations and major dining chains such as Tai Hing and Men Wah. By integrating stamp cards and digital applications, the campaign successfully converted cultural engagement into repeat retail purchases and physical restaurant footfall.

The campaign intentionally caters to three distinct demographics to maximise citywide visibility. Traditional heritage nostalgists, who share a lifelong bond with the iconic cow logo, are engaged through historical retrospectives and premium redemptions such as a retro vacuum flask created with fellow local icon Camel.

Meanwhile, trend-seeking Gen Z and millennial consumers drive online hype by capturing the visual aesthetics of the harbour cruise and collecting desk-friendly mini blocks. Finally, cosmopolitan foodies are reached through high-end mixology, experiencing a refined, modern reimagining of Hong Kong’s liquid heritage.

This comprehensive online-to-offline strategy was initiated with a grand media and influencer launch, backed by a nationwide broadcast television commercial and heavy in-store displays.

Jayden Looi Ji Houng, commercial director of FrieslandCampina Food & Beverage (Hong Kong), said, “BLACK & WHITE has grown alongside Hong Kong for 85 years, evolving from the soul of Hong Kong-style milk tea into a beloved cultural symbol. With this campaign, we want to bring a distinctive sea-and-land experience—stretching from the historic ‘Dukling’ vessel to our interactive onshore zones—so that people can connect even more deeply with Hong Kong’s lifestyle and culture, and savour the True Taste of Hong Kong Experience."

Related articles:

Black & White celebrates culinary heritage with milk tea art gallery
FrieslandCampina launches themed ferry to celebrate Black & White's 80th anniversary in HK