Published on
September 19, 2025
An imaginative cultural experience named PANDA‑MONIUM has been launched through a collaboration between SOCIAL and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) with the intention of evoking travel curiosity and celebrating Hong Kong culture in India. Starting on September 21 and running through October 21, PANDA‑MONIUM is being staged across 45 SOCIAL outlets situated in Mumbai, Delhi‑NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune, creating a month‑long takeover that blends immersive offline experiences with engaging digital entertainment.
Transforming SOCIAL Outlets into Panda‑Inspired Playgrounds
PANDA‑MONIUM is being brought alive by converting SOCIAL venues into playful, panda‑themed spaces. At its core are four flagship locations Mindspace SOCIAL in Hyderabad; Bellandur SOCIAL in Bangalore; Khar SOCIAL in Mumbai; and Connaught Place SOCIAL in Delhi each transformed into Panda Tourism Zones featuring between 50 and 100 life‑sized installations. Throughout all SOCIAL outlets guests are being invited to engage with Panda x Hong Kong trivia and discover interactive QR codes that link to travel guides curated by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Drinks, Workshops, and Immersive Moments
Across the venues special Hong Kong‑inspired cocktails and mocktails are being served. Names such as Harbour Martini, Lan Kwai Fizz, Temple Street Heat, Junk Boat Breeze, Kowloon Masala Cha, and Fong Fizz are being introduced to capture flavours reminiscent of Hong Kong streets, harbours, and vibrant culture. In addition, cocktail workshops are being organized in each of the five major cities: Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Pune. These workshops allow patrons to participate in hands‑on sessions, learning mixology techniques while being immersed in the thematic backdrop.
Sparked Curiosity Through Culture, Conservation, and Community
The initiative has been designed to evoke multiple strands of meaning. Pandas in Hong Kong symbolize friendship, conservation, and the city’s unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage. Hong Kong is home to six giant pandas—Ying Ying and Le Le at Ocean Park Hong Kong; An An and Ke Ke, gifted by the Central Government in 2024; and the city’s very first panda twins born to Ying Ying last year. These pandas are being celebrated through PANDA‑MONIUM as embodiments of the ties between people, nature, and storytelling.
Through immersive environments, guests are being prompted to reflect on travel possibilities, heritage, and the relationship between culture and wildlife preservation. The Panda Tourism Zones are being envisioned as more than photo‑ops: they are being designed to invite exploration, to allow guests to feel transported, and to provide memorable moments that blend aesthetic delight with meaningful insight.
Engaging Features Across All Outlets
Every SOCIAL outlet in the programme is being prepared with:
- Panda x Hong Kong trivia cards to test knowledge of Hong Kong’s pandas, geography, and cultural history.
- QR codes linking directly to travel guides from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, enabling guests to explore itineraries and stories behind the sites.
- Limited‑edition drinks inspired by Hong Kong flavours, both in cocktail and mocktail forms, tailored to match themed décor and ambience.
At the flagship Panda Tourism Zones more elaborate installations and immersive décor are being placed, enabling photographable moments, sensory interactions, and a sense of travelling without leaving the city.
A Strategic Partnership Fueled by Community and Creativity
This ambitious takeover has been made possible through the partnership between SOCIAL and HKTB. The core strategy has been put in place in order to reimagine Hong Kong through playful visual storytelling with the panda motif making culture accessible and shareable. By weaving together physical installations, themed beverages, trivia, workshops, and digital elements, the campaign is intended to ignite conversations, inspire travel, and provide a slice of Hong Kong’s essence right inside local neighbourhoods. In its scale—45 outlets over five cities during 30 days—PANDA‑MONIUM aims to reach broad audiences while delivering consistent yet localized experiences.
The establishment of four flagship Panda Tourism Zones has been executed so that guests will find immersive hubs where installations are dense, interactive content is rich, and the opportunity for photography, social sharing, and discovery is greatest. The cocktail workshops are being conducted in multiple cities so that learning, engagement, and enjoyment are accessible.
What Visitors Are Expected to Experience
When a guest enters any SOCIAL outlet during the PANDA‑MONIUM period the environment is being transformed. They will find thematic visual installations—large panda figures, scenic Hong Kong elements such as harbour silhouettes, neon signs typical of Temple Street, or representations of Kowloon street life. They will be presented with themed drinks whose names evoke Hong Kong landscapes or cultural touchstones. They will be invited to scan QR codes to uncover travel guide content. They will be able to test themselves in trivia games that combine fun with learning.
At the flagship zones, photography possibilities are magnified with life‑sized installations and immersive décor creating distinctive backdrops. Workshops will allow hands‑on engagement with mixology, co‑creating memorable drink experiences under guided instruction, inspired by Hong Kong’s flavours.
Purpose Behind the Playful Journey
The intention behind PANDA‑MONIUM has been to bridge culture, travel, and community in unexpectedly delightful ways. By centring on pandas—symbolic of friendship and conservation—the narrative is being rooted in nature as well as human connection. By rooting the experience in SOCIAL outlets, everyday city spaces are being transformed into platforms of imagination.
Through digital elements such as QR code travel guides and trivia, the campaign is being made interactive and educational as well as entertaining. It is hoped that travel curiosity is being sparked so that India‑based audiences consider Hong Kong not only as a bustling global city but one with natural wonders, cultural richness, and stories waiting to be discovered.
Conclusion
PANDA‑MONIUM runs for exactly thirty days—from September 21 to October 21—offering a limited‐time chance to step in, snap photos, enjoy themed drinks, learn, and be transported. It is being presented as an immersive cultural adventure underpinned by friendship, conservation, and the joy of discovery. It has been designed for those who wish to experience a piece of Hong Kong without boarding a flight, but also for those whose curiosity about travel might draw them further.
