Kun Wing Fook Medicine Co. (靳永福藥廠) and “Coconut Tree” brand carminative oil (椰樹牌驅風油)

York Lo: Kun Wing Fook Medicine Co. (靳永福藥廠) and “Coconut Tree” brand
carminative oil (椰樹牌驅風油)

Left: Kun Wing Fook booth at the 1971-72 HK Products Expo (HK Memory); Right: article and picture of Kun Wing Fook booth at the 1959 HK Products Expo featuring a tree with coconuts imported from Singapore (TKP, 1959-12-6)

Kun Wing Fook Medicine Co, best known for its “Coconut Tree” brand of carminative oil and balm, is one of the oldest Chinese medicine manufacturers in HK and was a particularly prominent brand in the 1960s thanks to its aggressive marketing which covered print, television, radio, film and annual participation in the popular HK Products Expo organized by the Chinese Manufacturers Association.

Three modes of promotion by Kun Wing Fook in the 1960s: TV ad (left), print ad (center) and HK Products Expo booth (right)

The founder of Kun Wing Fook, Kun Hok-yuen (靳學源) came from a family of Chinese doctors and herbalists. He established Kun Wing Fook in 1938 although as a firm it was not incorporated until 1968.

In the late 1960s, Kun Wing Fook’s address was listed as 128 Queen’s Road West, which is the present site for Macro Garden which was built in 1995. (Redbook, 1969) Kun Hok-yuen also registered the Coconut Tree trademark with the US Patent Office in 1967.

By the 1990s, Kun Wing Fook’s office was listed as Kam Teem Industrial Building at 135 Connaught Road West in Sai Ying Pun and Desmond Y. Kun (presumably a descendant of the founder) is listed as director and contact. (Business Directory of Hong Kong, 1991) According to its website, the current office of Kun Wing Fook is located in Kwai Chung and and its products are sold online and through pharmacies in HK and Macau with a loyal overseas following.

1960s TV commercial for Kun Wing Fook:

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av13905327/?p=2

More recent article about Kun Wing Fook:

https://issuu.com/jumphr/docs/isuu50

Kun Wing Fook website:

http://www.coconuttreebrand.com/

This article was first posted on 10th April 2020.

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