Why Did Luckin Coffee Sign Esports Team EDG?
Luckin Coffee announced on Weibo that it will reveal a new brand ambassador on April 25, with a poster hinting the figure comes from a world-champion esports team. Fans quickly identified EDG from the cutout outline, and Luckin played along with the joke. The signing also signals the return of a former hit drink, pushing discussion heat up on social platforms.
The pairing reads as a parallel: EDG's comeback championship at the League of Legends World Championship mirrors Luckin's effort to recover after its accounting scandal. Both achieved breakthroughs that drew renewed attention. Following past patterns, Luckin usually launches new products alongside new partners, but this collaboration brings back a previously popular drink rather than a new one.
Luckin Coffee announced via its official Weibo that it will reveal a new brand ambassador on April 25, with a poster hinting that this mysterious figure comes from a world-champion esports team. Although the company tried its best to maintain suspense, sharp-eyed netizens had already recognized the outline of EDG from the sloppy cutout traces, and Luckin played along with this tacit interaction. This signing not only means EDG becomes Luckin's new ambassador, but also signals the return of a former hit drink, with discussion heat on social platforms continuing to rise. EDG's comeback championship at the League of Legends World Championship forms an interesting parallel with Luckin's trajectory of striving to recover after scandal—both achieved breakthroughs in their respective fields that made people sit up and take notice.
Today, Luckin Coffee released a teaser via its official Weibo, stating that it will unveil a new ambassador on April 25. According to the accompanying poster, the soon-to-be-signed ambassador is a world-champion esports team.
When others play mysterious, it's genuinely confusing; when Luckin plays mysterious, it's as if they're afraid no one will guess. Similar to its previous co-branding with Yeshu Coconut Palm, this time while "building suspense," Luckin seemed to have already anticipated that sharp-eyed netizens would see through it immediately, so the caption teased: "Don't leak it early again this time!" Netizens naturally played along:
"Isn't this obviously the Chinese men's football team?
”
"This cutout skill still has a lot of room for improvement—I've looked up and down and still can't tell who it is!"
"It's really hard to guess! Who could it be? @EDG Club"
(Some helpful netizens even restored the cut-out image)
Although Luckin officially didn't directly name the new ambassador, the "needs improvement" cutout technique already makes it crystal clear to everyone: yep, it's EDG! EDG is coming to be our ambassador! Come look! Come see!
However, unlike the Yeshu coconut juice mosaic that was instantly guessed through last time, Luckin did hold something back this time. Following past patterns, Luckin usually launches new products when signing new partners, but this collaboration with EDG brings back a previously hit drink. The little blue cup in the poster gave no clues, and no netizens leaked what this returning drink might be on major social platforms. But from the discussions, many people are eagerly anticipating the return of Grape Cold Brew.
When it comes to keeping products secret, Luckin is clearly determined not to let everyone know in advance this time, so whether the EDG signing will come with related merchandise is still unclear. EDG fans are also hoping Luckin will release co-branded cup sleeves and paper bags.
It is understood that in last year's League of Legends World Championship, EDG from China's LPL region became the sole surviving LPL team in the semifinals, while all other teams came from Korea's LCK region and had previously won world championships. Facing formidable opponents on all sides, EDG fought through and ultimately faced the previous LCK champion DK in the finals, successfully claiming the title. This match was given meaning by netizens beyond esports itself—it was no longer just a contest of a video game, nor merely a victory between teams, but became an emotional vessel carrying national unity and pride, because EDG bore the youthful memories of a generation.
After reading EDG's story, can you see a certain similarity between Luckin and EDG? Both brought breakthrough impressions to people in their respective fields. Just as EDG was not favored by most League of Legends players before winning the championship, Luckin was also considered by many unlikely to recover after its scandal, but both persisted in striving for change and ultimately succeeded in making the world take notice.
Looking back at Luckin Coffee's previously signed ambassadors, recommenders, spokespersons, and various brand collaborations, "influence," "freshness," and "recognition" are the key messages Luckin has consistently conveyed to the market, and these happen to be exactly what most young people today value. Therefore, Luckin's choice of EDG as its new ambassador further solidifies the brand's position in young people's hearts, while leveraging EDG's influence to also give overseas audiences a chance to discover Luckin.
Image source: Internet, Weibo
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
