Lee Kum Kee's new pop-up brings play to the kitchen

Lee Kum Kee Sauce has opened an immersive pop-up store at K11 Art Mall, inviting Hong Kong's Millennials and Gen Z to rediscover the fun of home cooking.

Available until 20 August, the "FunCook kitchen" pop-up store is the experiential centrepiece of FunCook, Lee Kum Kee's cooking solution platform built around its newly renamed menu‑oriented sauce range.

Recognising that "What shall I cook tonight?" is a daily struggle, Lee Kum Kee has turned abstract recipe ideas into hands-on experiences at its pop-up store. Visitors can explore the "Daily easy cooking calendar wall" for "one sauce, one day" inspiration, and by rotating the interactive sauce displays, they can instantly access three-step gourmet recipes perfect for busy weeknights.

The pop-up store builds on the upgraded FunCook app by linking the offline experience to the built-in "FunCook AI assistant." Users can enter the ingredients they have on hand, along with any dietary requirements or flavour preferences of their family members. The AI assistant then suggests suitable recipes, helping to simplify meal planning and everyday cooking.

To make cooking less intimidating, the campaign embraces youth culture and gamification. The pop-up features interactive digital challenges, including the RFID-enabled "FunCook easy pick" challenge, where visitors catch sauce pouches through quick-response gameplay in the "FunCook interactive zone." This turns sauce selection into a fun, immersive experience, helping to drive foot traffic and social buzz while lowering the barriers to home cooking.

The pop-up also features Y2K-inspired Instagrammable touchpoints to enhance the experience. Highlights include a 1.8 metre giant "Sauce for Teriyaki chicken" pouch, mirror walls with catchy slogans like "I do cook, until I meet FunCook," and a kitchen themed model wall designed for shareable photos.

Demonstrating a consumer-centric approach to product innovation, Lee Kum Kee believes the best ideas often come from consumers themselves. Back in July, Lee Kum Kee ran the "My secret sauce" contest, calling for family recipes. The top five finalists are now up for public vote, with their concepts and stories on display at the pop-up. The winning recipe will be turned into a new sauce pouch and may hit retail shelves.

The "FunCook Kitchen" pop-up is a component of FunCook, Lee Kum Kee's platform for simpler home cooking. The 138 year old brand created FunCook to tackle a central challenge: how to persuade young city residents that cooking can be stress free, even when time and inspiration are in short supply. The platform rests on three pillars. Digitally, the upgraded FunCook app and its "FunCook AI assistant" deliver tailored cooking inspiration.

On the product side, updated packaging for the menu oriented sauce range provides easy "one sauce, one dish" options for busy routines. Rounding out the experience is the "FunCook kitchen" pop-up, which makes cooking interactive and fun, encouraging young urbanites to enjoy home cooking again.

Eric Lin, general manager, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan at Lee Kum Kee Sauce, said: “With the launch of FunCook, we are redefining home cooking for the next generation. It’s no longer about spending hours over a hot stove; it’s about making meal preparation fun, effortless, and accessible. By bringing this experience to our pop-up at K11 Art Mall and integrating smart AI tools, we want to empower young urbanites to enjoy a homemade meal without the stress."

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Lee Kum Kee for more information.

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