Coinciding with its earnings press conference last Thursday, TSMC released limited edition packets of edible chips. These weren’t the kinds of chips you would normally associate with TSMC; rather, they were creamy coconut-flavored corn puffs made in collaboration with Taiwan’s Guai Guai brand. We use the past tense as these snacks, which are often gifted to convey good luck or reward good behavior, sold out very quickly, reports Business Today. A regular packet of Guai Guai snacks normally costs TWD$25 (77 US cents) or less, but those lucky enough to grab the limited edition TSMC packets have been seen selling their packs for up to TWD$500 (USD$16) on online marketplaces.
Guai Guai’s snacks have long held a special place in Taiwan’s culture. Firstly, Guai Guai roughly translates to ‘good good’ as spoken when patting a child or pet on their head to comfort them. Secondly, local superstition dictates that the coconut flavor (green) packs are lucky. You can see the normal packet has a gifting label on the front. The label might be filled in and gifted to someone when they set off on a new venture, get a new car, etc.
Wikipedia notes that these snacks are frequently placed next to crucial machinery such as servers, ATMs, and control systems – and inside offices in police stations, hospitals, schools, and many more in Taiwan. If you fancy a crispy coconut flavor snack, they don’t taste bad either.
The superstition also has a special significance for TSMC. There is an urban legend that TSMC’s crucial machinery always runs smoothly, with a green light, thanks to strategically placed packets of these coconut flavor puffs. Moreover, TSMC protects the Taiwan economy and prosperity – so these ‘edible chips’ could be claimed to be the foundation of Taiwan’s industrial prowess over several decades. Perhaps these totally green circuit board design packs from TSMC will be even more lucky.
According to the report, the limited edition packs of Guai Guai were on sale on January 18 in 7-Eleven stores located at TSMC production facilities around the island and quickly sold out. Employees and others on site could buy up to a box of 12 packs for TWD$288 ($9.20). If someone could pass on those snacks for the headlining TWD$500 (USD$16) per pack they could raise over TWD$6,000 (USD$190).
According to the Wikipedia page linked above, this isn’t the first TSMC collaboration with Guai Guai. Limited edition ‘FAB14A 222K’ packs were made after an earthquake in 2016 impacted a fab in Kaoshiung, which were placed next to repaired machinery to ensure smooth running. They also reportedly sold out extremely quickly before being sold for 20x profits by those lucky enough to snag them.
