Wasabi is turning dinner into a lucky moment. The Japanese and East Asian-inspired food brand has launched “Lucky Dinners,” a Lunar New Year-inspired on-pack and social campaign created by All Things, RCP and Unfinished.
Rooted in the cultural symbolism of the number eight, widely associated with prosperity and good fortune across many East Asian traditions, the promotion gives shoppers the chance to win £8, £88 or £888 across Wasabi’s Meal for One and Feast for One grocery ranges.
The 12-week promotion is live across major UK supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, and Morrisons, marking Wasabi’s largest grocery campaign to date.
But the brand didn’t stop at the shelf. To extend the idea beyond packaging, the team staged a Lunar New Year activation in Camden Market, the very place where Wasabi began more than 20 years ago as a market stall. Fronted by UK creator Max Balegde, known for spontaneous gifting content, the brand surprised the public with traditional red envelopes as a celebratory nod to Lunar New Year customs.
Set against a bold “Wonder Wall” installation, the Camden moment was designed to capture something more than a prize mechanic, the emotional lift of an unexpected treat. The content, rolled out across TikTok, YouTube, and Meta in 30-, 10-, and 6-second formats, blends cultural reference with creator-native spontaneity. Watch below:
The campaign also represents a milestone for Not Normal Group. For the first time, its content studio All Things, creative agency RCP and media agency Unfinished collaborated end-to-end on a fully integrated effort. The digital-first rollout is supported by a network of mid- and micro-creators extending the “Lucky Dinners” idea across feeds nationwide.
Strategically, the work shifts away from traditional, transactional prize-led grocery promotions. Instead of focusing purely on value, the campaign reframes luck as an emotional reward, whether that’s cracking open a chilled Wasabi pack at home or unexpectedly receiving a red envelope in Camden.
There’s also a neat brand symmetry at play. Camden is not just an activation backdrop; it’s Wasabi’s origin story. The brand’s return to the market, which launched it, reinforces authenticity, while Balegde’s longstanding affinity for Wasabi in his early content adds a layer of organic relevance.
In a crowded Lunar New Year landscape often dominated by sentimentality or spectacle, Wasabi finds a middle ground: culturally respectful, commercially sharp, and built for social velocity.
CREDITS:
PRODUCTION COMPANY: all things
- DIRECTOR Aimee Cleaver
- CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dom Sykes
- ACCOUNT MANAGER Olivia Whalley
- HEAD OF PRODUCTION Lisa Dawson
- PRODUCER Alex Kemp
- PRODUCER Bea Perez
- PRODUCTION MANAGER Lily Doswell
- PRODUCTION MANAGER Caroline Milsom
- PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Stella Umezaki
- DOP Jack Booth
- CLIENT SERVICES Olivia Whalley
MEDIA AGENCY Unfinished
MEDIA CLIENT SERVICES Lily Grant
LOCATION Camden Market
Crew:
- 1ST AC Kieran Coyne
- SOUND RECORDIST Bahar Dopran
- 1ST AD Rowan Hutchings
- RUNNER Zoe Bradley
- RUNNER Morris Pusey
- RUNNER Josh Jackson
- ART DIRECTOR Steve Oakes
- ART DEPT ASSISTANT Toby Sykes
- CONSTRUCTION Alexander King
- CONSTRUCTION Lowell Stearn-Marsh
- LOCATION MANAGER Darren Pratt
- MUA Lisa Asprey
- SECURITY Tomek Kleszcz
- SECURITY Charlie Bibby
Talent:
- TALENT Max Balegde
- TALENT AGENT Madeline Utter
- TALENT ASSISTANT Maisie Davis
POST:
- POST PRODUCER Alex Kemp
- EDITOR Jack Booth
- GRADE Jack Booth
- AUDIO TBC
RCP:
- HEAD OF SOCIAL Clare O’Hanlon
- DESIGN Niamh Tulley
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on LinkedIn.
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