Other names for coffee chains stumble on collab quality control

Nayuki's collaboration with the game Reverse: 1999 launched two limited-edition drinks and themed merchandise, but customers reported that the printed luggage tags showed ghosting, making characters look blurred. Collaboration-themed cups also caused peel-off collector cards to stick and tear because of condensation, cutting their collectible value, and store responses to exchange requests did not resolve the frustration.

Before the event, an internal activity board listing character nicknames showed the brand had prepared to help staff unfamiliar with the game. That groundwork did not prevent the detail failures. For brands whose other names for coffee include tea and bakery, cross-industry tie-ins are now a routine growth play, and what coffee is made of matters less than whether the merchandise arrives in sound condition and exchanges are handled smoothly.

Nayuki's collaboration with the hit game "Reverse: 1999" was supposed to be a fan celebration, but it ran into embarrassment due to quality control issues with the merchandise. The official limited-edition luggage tags were reported by consumers to have ghosting in the printed designs, making the game characters look like their "souls had left their bodies," which was dizzying to look at. At the same time, the collaboration-themed cups caused the peel-off collector cards to stick and become damaged due to condensation, greatly reducing their collectible value. The stores' response to requests for exchanges also failed to quell dissatisfaction. Why did this cross-industry collaboration, which had been so highly anticipated, repeatedly stumble over details? And how should consumers' experience be safeguarded?

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Recently, Nayuki officially announced a collaboration with the hit game "Reverse: 1999," launching two limited-edition drinks inspired by game characters and simultaneously releasing a series of themed merchandise.

Before the event started, an activity board shared by a Nayuki employee circulated online. From the image, the brand had provided a brief comparison between the collaboration products and the game characters, and also noted commonly used character nicknames by players and other information, so that staff unfamiliar with the game could quickly get up to speed in a short time. Players saw this as a thoughtful preparation by the brand to improve the event experience, and it also filled everyone with anticipation for the collaboration.

On the day of the event, players who had been waiting for a long time immediately opened the official mini-program to snap up the limited-edition collaboration packages, full of expectation as they waited for delivery riders to bring the coveted limited-edition merchandise to their hands.

However, the moment the packaging was opened and the merchandise taken out, many consumers' moods instantly dropped. According to the official promotion, the merchandise Nayuki launched this time included a luggage tag printed with game characters. But consumers who received the actual items posted buyer photos on social media, reporting that the patterns on the luggage tags showed varying degrees of ghosting, at first glance making it seem as if the game characters' "souls had left their bodies," which was dizzying.

This obvious printing defect naturally sparked strong dissatisfaction among merchandise fans. Some reported the situation to the stores, hoping to exchange for luggage tags in good condition, but they were either refused by staff on the grounds of "no responsibility after leaving the counter," or the stock merchandise generally had similar quality control problems, making it difficult to exchange for a satisfactory one.

In addition to the merchandise, Nayuki's collaboration-themed cups this time also disappointed some users. It is understood that the two limited-edition drinks launched by the brand for the event were both refreshing fruit teas suitable for summer drinking, and the accompanying paper-themed cups featured a fun peel-off paper piece designed on them; after peeling it off, one could get a small collectible card printed with a game character.

However, because the liquid in the cup was at a low temperature, a layer of fine water droplets inevitably condensed on the outside of the paper takeaway cup. After being left for a while, the themed cup became damp and eroded, and the small card on the cup body was prone to sticking when peeled off, causing the pattern on the collectible card to be damaged and making it difficult to become an ideal collectible in the eyes of game players.

In most people's impression, Nayuki has rich experience in collaboration events and knows well that consumers attracted by collaboration IPs place great importance on the overall event experience, so it arranged early for staff to familiarize themselves with information related to the partner IP, striving to give game players who came to the store to buy limited-edition products a good service experience.

However, situations such as failed merchandise printing and themed cups that were difficult to preserve poured cold water on fans' expectations for the collaboration event. Amid disappointment, some players bluntly said that poorly made collaboration luggage tags, small paper pieces that tore apart as soon as they were peeled, and the like not only affected consumers' event experience, but would also make customers who came because of the brand's reputation view the partner brand less favorably.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original author's copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large volume, some images and texts may not have been credited in time. Please understand. If the original author has any disputes, they may contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.