Ad Nut
Sep 6, 2021

Haidilao and Alipay want you to eat hotpot for a good cause

This new integrated campaign by F5 Shanghai proves that the way to a socially conscious heart is through the stomach.

Alipay’s CSR project, Ant Forest, needed a new way to encourage the public to join its effort to plant millions of sea buckthorn trees in China. These trees are said to prevent soil erosion in northwest China.

So Ant Forest and creative agency partner F5 Shanghai decided to raise awareness the best way it knew how in food-crazed China: via steaming vats of soup. Aptly, the company partnered with Haidilao to formulate a sea buckthorn hotpot base with the intention of allowing more of these trees to flourish as more people consumed the fruit.

As a bonus, for every pot of sea buckthorn hotpot consumed, Haidilao will donate one sea buckthorn tree to be planted in Ant Forest or to the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.

During the launch, a Haidilao store was dressed like a forest of sea buckthorn trees and an animated film was aired to showcase the origin of the sour fruit. The film features a group of incredibly adorable sea buckthorn fruits that splash about in warm soup. Ah, to be an anthropomorphic fruit simply vibing in a pot of broth.

Ad Nut is all for preserving the natural habitat of Ad Nut and Ad Nut’s friends, and supports this simple purpose-driven campaign and its practical hook.

CREDITS

Brand: Ant Forest
Agency: F5 Shanghai
Chief Creative Officer: Adams Fan
Creative Group Head: Enzo Wu
Senior Planner: Lluvia Chen
Copywriter: Yifan He
Art Director: Yuxi Wen
Art Director: Potato Zhang

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.

 

Source:
Campaign Asia

Follow us

Top news, insights and analysis every weekday

Sign up for Campaign Bulletins

Related Articles

Just Published

Jan 29, 2026

Gemini 3 becomes the default model for AI Overviews

A pair of updates from Google see the tech giant attempt to gain a further foothold in the battle for AI-powered search supremacy.

Jan 29, 2026

Google criticised after blocking measurement ...

YouTube owner sent a 'cease and desist' letter to Barb and Kantar Media.

Jan 29, 2026

Inside Campaign Connect Indonesia: what matters to ...

Candid conversations on growth, AI and the cultural trade-offs of scaling brands, with more than 100 marketers in the room.

Jan 29, 2026

Meta hits $200 billion revenue milestone on ...

Meta reports double‑digit year-on-year revenue growth, with advertising once again accounting for almost all of the top line.