Haidilao under fire for botched use of Singlish in new ad campaign

SINGAPORE: Popular hot pot chain Haidilao has come under fire from Singaporean netizens over its latest advertisement, which features what many have called an incorrect and awkward use of Singlish.

The ad, displayed at Stadium MRT station, reads: “Hungry Sia? No Matter How Late, Haidilao Always Leaves A Light On For You.”

While the English tagline attempts to adopt a local flavour, online users were quick to point out that the expression “hungry sia” is misused. In Singlish, “sia” is often used to emphasise a statement — in this case, meaning “I’m so hungry” — rather than to pose a question. The more accurate phrasing, some suggested, would have been “hungry anot?” to convey “are you hungry?”.

A Reddit thread discussing the advertisement has since gone viral, with many Singaporeans criticising the Chinese chain for trying too hard to sound local. Some users urged the company to remove the ad altogether, calling it “a disgrace” and arguing that it makes the brand appear inauthentic.

“The marketing chap who proposed ‘Hungry Sia?’ should be fired lol. It’s a mistake that should never have been made,” one Redditor commented.

Others suggested the misstep reflects a lack of local insight within the brand’s marketing team. “How to vet when the vetter and approver are non-locals,” one user asked, while another quipped, “It just shows you how many true blue born and bred sinkies they hire.”

Haidilao has not yet responded publicly to the criticism.