IKEA HK takes a jab at alleged Chiikawa scalpers with social post

IKEA Hong Kong has taken a jab at alleged scalpers queuing outside the beloved Japanese character Chiikawa pop-up store, who responded incorrectly to Chiikawa-themed pop quizzes provided by the frontline staff. This comes after a woman in the queue referred to the characters as "Kawachii" instead of their real names Chiikawa. 

According to its Instagram, IKEA Hong Kong mocked the incident with its "Sandbi" frog rattle promotion post. The post featured two frog rattles, one of which was turned upside down. The normal one is named “痴家蛙,” while the upside-down one is called “家蛙痴”, referencing how the woman reversed “Chiikawa” to "Kawachi”.

In the same post, IKEA has humorously promoted its “JORDBORR” hook, stating that anyone who doesn’t know the "Sandbi" frog rattle is outdated. In Hong Kong, it's common to say “out” to mean “outdated,” and “out” sounds like “鉤,” which also means hook in English.

The Instagram post caption reads: “That SANDBI! It's so popular! Can you keep up with small editor's trendiness? Not recognising what's real is so outdated!” (果只、咩咩蛙⋯ 痴⋯ 家蛙痴！巧hit 架！你夠唔夠禾in 先！噉都吾識珍系巧「鉤」呀！)

The post has received over 26,000 likes and 9,000 likes on Instagram and Facebook respectively, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw. Some netizens said IKEA’s trendjacking posts are always the quickest and most humorous, with some jokingly asking if they need to answer questions before purchasing the products.

The Chiikawa-themed pop-up store, located at Harbour City, was done in collaboration with local lifestyle brand NIKO-NIKO, available from 2 April to 27 April. Nearly a thousand fans lined up outside the mall to purchase limited-edition items, according to local media reports such as HK01 and The Standard. The first round of sales began last Wednesday (9 April) and attracted over a thousand people who waited overnight.

Don't miss: NIKO-NIKO and Harbour City present HK's first Chiikawa pop-up

While the second round of Chiikawa merchandise launched on 15 April, the organisers are implementing measures to deter scalpers and queuing gangs by asking those in line questions related to Chiikawa. Anyone who answers incorrectly will be asked to leave.

Yesterday (April 16), a netizen shared a video on Threads featuring two women waiting in line to buy Chiikawa merchandise. A man, who appeared to be a passerby, asked them for the full name of Chiikawa, and they replied with the pronunciation "Kawachi." Following their incorrect response, a staff member asked the women to leave.

The video has drawn over 983,000 views and 14,000 likes on Threads, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw.

In fact, the Chiikawa frenzy has taken Hong Kong by storm, with brands launching exclusive products and campaigns to engage with audiences. Back in March, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group launched an exclusive Chiikawa-themed jewellery collection that has won the hearts of fans and younger generations. The first batch of the collection was sold out in a few hours since its release. 

Photo courtesy: Threads account @sandytcy

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