Popular Chinese snack brand Weilong spicy gluten sticks has launched a new series of adverts, mimicking the minimalist style of Apple.
An immaculate minimalist white background, simple words and high-definition feature photographs of products that seem to stay afloat. The brand that you first associate with this image might be Apple, but it can also be something else that you’d never have imagined: a website launched by a cheap and cheerful Chinese snack brand – Weilong spicy gluten sticks.
Weilong spicy gluten stick, or “hot strip” transliterated in English, is a popular child’s snack for people born in the 80s and early 90s in China. It’s made of gluten, has a chewy texture, and is flavoured heavily with salt and chilli. It is the kind of snack found in a kiosk owned by an old man next to school, and youngsters buy it with the small change saved from their daily lunch money. For many adults, the spicy gluten stick is something old, cheap, and mostly nostalgic. It is hard to make the connection between Weilong’s homespun snack and the simplicity of Apple’s bespoke visuals; however, it is a surprising clash between the consumers’ rooted perception of the product and the stylish send-up of Apple’s design that has made the relaunch a viral hit in China.
Here’s the sassy website design:
“The spicy gluten stick was a cheap and unhygienic junk food – I didn’t know it could be this classy.” One Weibo user wrote. It resonated with others, as the revamped design of Weilong not only creates a sense of novelty, but also gains trust from consumers. One woman said when the parcel of spicy gluten sticks arrived, she was as happy as receiving a new iPhone parcel. “The old and unflattering package design discouraged people from buying the spicy gluten sticks, because people doubted whether it was even safe to eat. Now the new package has made a huge difference. It’s so fresh and clean.”
The genius parody has also drawn the attention from a group of potential marketers who are itching to contribute to the new slogans for the spicy gluten stick. On Chinese social media posters suggested many an example:
- “The stick of legend, the memory of childhood”
- “From our chemistry, find your chemistry”
- “Stay hungry. Always stay hungry.”
While Weilong’s bizarre design concept has successfully caused a sensation in China and raised sales, here comes the problem: is it a kind of copyright infringement?
The Weilong marketing team drew inspirations from Apple’s advertisement to relaunch the brand. Many people see Weilong’s visuals as tributes to Apple and Steve Jobs. “If smartphone companies adopt this style, you can call it a knock-off. But WeiLong is a food company, so it’s only a spoof. Don’t take it too seriously,” a Weibo user said.
Quirky, out-of-place, incongruous as it is, the Weilong spicy gluten stick has managed to refresh its brand image with a sense of humour and proves that the Apple-style template can turn anything ordinary into something beautiful. Late October the year, Weibo user @LibraryUncle made an Apple-style video featuring a traditional Chinese pancake recipe following in Weilong’s step.
More and more Chinese snacks and street food also have started to adopt the Apple-style template for advertisement. Sadly, however, it seems that they have failed to replicate the success of Weilong, as consumers are tired of this copycat style. Well, maybe it is time for something original now.
This article was originally published in November 2016, it has been republished and updated in October 2026. If you like this article, why not read: How a Chinese Film Turns Food into a Story of Survival and Peace
