Fortune cookies have always been among the most popular promotional items within our range of products. Our corporate clients cannot get enough of these every year when Chinese New Year comes around. This year, it will be on January 29th. How did fortune cookies become such a popular merch amongst our Aussie clients? Read more and find out.
As the vibrant festivities of Chinese New Year draw nearer, it’s nearly impossible to miss the familiar crunch of a fortune cookie. For many, these crispy, folded treats have become synonymous with Chinese-American dining, particularly during this festive season. Yet, interestingly, fortune cookies did not originate from the Chinese culture. It started on American soil from a Japanese-American immigrant. Understanding this quirky history reveals how this delightful dessert evolved into a top promotional item.
The Fortune Cookie’s Unlikely Origins
While it’s commonly believed that fortune cookies originated in China, these famous desserts emerged in the United States in the early 20th century. Makoto Hagiwara served the first modern fortune cookies in San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden in 1918. At that same period, Chinese restaurants were thriving in America. Seeing the marketing potential of the cookies, the restaurants adopted these post-dinner sweets that started their links to the Chinese-American dining experience.
Typically offered during New Year celebrations, fortune cookies hold slips of paper with written messages. Often appearing like advice, proverbs, or predictions, the messages can easily establish customer connection.
Marketing Potential of Fortune Cookies
When ordering fortune cookies became part of the dining package, it became an opportunity for marketing strategies. With the option to customise messages, restaurants included promotions and discounts on some paper slips. Some used the fortune cookies to announce events and send invitations. Over time, they became excellent channels for delivering branded content.
Celebrating Chinese New Year with Fortune Items
As the Chinese New Year is just around the corner, fortune cookie sales are bound to skyrocket. As event themes, luck, prosperity, and new beginnings present plenty of business engagement opportunities. Whether expressing gratitude to clients and partners or promoting business products, this festive season is a significant date marked on marketing calendars.
If you’re looking for excellent ways to promote your brand this Chinese New Year, check out these promotional items from Cubic Promote:
- Personalised Fortune Cookies: Australian-made promotional fortune cookies are packaged with your logo stickers.
- Printed Chocolate Cards: Business-card style chocolates that accommodate full-colour printing of your designs.
- Custom Red Envelopes: Perfect for sending messages or money that can be printed with your branding and design in foil.
With luck, an opportunity presents itself for effective branding. Fortune cookies are the perfect personalised promotional items this festive season. Forge meaningful client relations as part of the 2025 Chinese New Year!
About The Author:
Charles Liu
Charles Liu is the Founder and a recognised authority in the promotional products industry in Australia. With over 17 years of experience, he has guided Cubic Promote to work with over 10,000 Australian organisations. His specialty is helping Aussie companies select the right products that stay within their budget. He also specialises in sourcing and assisting brands and government agencies in selecting corporate gifts for VIPs and high-profile clients. A regular contributor to industry blogs, Charles shares his expert insights on using promotional products to achieve business goals. Charles’s deep understanding of industry trends and strong supplier relationships make him a trusted figure in the sector, continually influencing the development of promotional product strategies that deliver tangible, measurable results.
