Tokyo Olympics: Siobhan Haughey marketing machine kicks off with bubble tea sold at half price – if they blow a kiss

Name: Hong Kong’s most successful Olympics ever as swimmer Siobhan Haughey wins silver at Tokyo 2020
Uploaded: 2021-07-28T09:48:11.000Z
Duration: 5 min 25 s
Description: Hong Kong’s most successful Olympics ever as swimmer Siobhan Haughey wins silver at Tokyo 2020

Hong Kong’s ‘Little Fish’ has businesses offering rewards and discounts to Hong Kong fans inspired by her Tokyo Olympics silver medal

Haughey and fencing gold medallist Cheung Ka-long earn one year free supply of sparkling water as her father, leaders and fans pay tribute

Reading Time:4 minutes

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Siobhan Haughey flashes a silver smile after finishing second in the women’s 200m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo: AFP

SCMP Reporters

Published: 5:48pm, 28 Jul 2021Updated: 8:59pm, 28 Jul 2021

Kisses for half-priced bubble tea, HK$2.5 million for a silver medal and free sparkling water for a year. The unofficial brand marketing of Hong Kong’s “Little Fish” Siobhan Haughey has already begun.

Not long after the 23-year-old made history for Hong Kong with a silver in the women’s 200m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Games, businesses were quick to use her name to promote their products with special offers to celebrate the city’s first ever Olympic swimming medal.

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Hong Kong’s most successful Olympics ever as swimmer Siobhan Haughey wins silver at Tokyo 2020

Hong Kong fans are inspired by the fact that Haughey – whose father is from Ireland and mother from Hong Kong – chose to represent the city of her birth even after receiving an offer to swim under Irish colours. And retailers, restaurants and other businesses are making the most of fans’ new-found love for the swimmer by offering a range of rewards and discounts for Hong Kong medal winners and the public on Wednesday.

Dozens of fans gathered at shopping malls to watch the live television stream of Haughey’s swim in the final on Wednesday morning. The Hong Kong Sports Institute athlete touched the wall at 1:53:92, 0.42 of a second behind winner Ariarne Titmus, of Australia, breaking her own personal best time and setting an Asian record.

Hongkongers watch a live screening of Siobhan Haughey’s race at the APM mall in Kwun Tong. Photo: Sam Tsang

“We are Hongkongers,” netizens cheered on social media after Haughey clinched the city’s second medal at Tokyo Olympics to go with fencer Cheung Ka-long’s gold in the men’s foil on Monday. “And most importantly, she chose to represent Hong Kong!”

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