Bittersweet, that's really me? – The Positioning

Vita Lemon Tea recently launched its new branding campaign “Bittersweet, that’s me” featuring MC Jin and Wan Kwong to celebrate its 30th birthday.

I learned about the campaign through its TVC and instantly had a feeling it’s the topic I wanted to have for my virgin post here on this blog, Ardent Persuader. I am going to start a discussion on this ad campaign that will spread across a few posts and a few days. As I say on the header of this blog, I will be writing and analyzing on different levels of the campaign to fully exercise my skills and knowledge in marketing and advertising.

Vita is a local Hong Kong brand
Let’s start with some background of the brand. Vita Lemon Tea, the flagship product of Vita’s line of beverages, has been one of Hong Kong ‘s favorite casual drinks since its launch in 1979. The very Hong-Kongish Lemon Tea drink and Vita’s leader position makes it a very local brand.

The rich flavor of Vita Lemon Tea is definitely one of the reasons why it has been popular in Hong Kong. It is logical to leverage this product attribute to a way of life, Bittersweet. It is a proposition that no competitors can claim because the other lemon tea products either are too watery or taste only sweet, without an essential bitterness to go with. It helps the brand leap up a level to go beyond physical benefit into some abstract psychological attitude.

Hong Kong teens are not "Bittersweet"
The proposition here seems logical to the internal of the brand but when you look at the audience, it’s not the same case. The campaign’s primary target, Hong Kong’s youths and young adults, are known for their hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle. This is not any new idea. It is well documented with the term Strawberries since more than a decade ago. The situation of youths being over protected has only gone worse over the years. Very few, or almost nobody, among today’s younger generation has experienced real difficulties in their life. Say, how many of today’s youths have to come out to work to support the family when they are as small as 15 years old or earlier? Living a life without bitterness, they do not take themselves as bittersweet and they do not feel proud of themselves having gone through major difficulties. What makes them feel proud are more likely to be owning a LV or Y3 limited edition bag or taking a photo with the Taiwanese music idols, which they can show off in front of their friends. I am very doubtful whether “Bittersweet, that’s me” is a suitable proposition for Vita’s Lemon Tea given its primary audience is the younger generation of Hong Kong.