HEYTEA has made another move, officially announcing a co-branding collaboration with the nationally beloved TV drama Empresses in the Palace, launching two new products: "Zhen Guo · Da Ju Hua Li" fruit tea and "Zhen Nai · Xue Niang Han Cui" milk tea, both priced at 18 yuan. This is the first time Empresses in the Palace has crossed over into a co-branding partnership with a new-style tea beverage brand, and it is also HEYTEA's latest IP collaboration attempt following A Dream of Splendor and Genshin Impact. From "Meng Hua Cha Xi · Dian Cha" selling nearly 300,000 cups on its launch day, to the Genshin Impact co-branded fruit juice tea's first batch selling out within 59 minutes, HEYTEA's cross-brand collaborations have become increasingly frequent and remarkably effective. This collaboration not only enriches the drama's connotations but also provides a new direction for exploring cultural experiences in new-style tea beverage brands. Follow Coffee Workshop to learn more about specialty coffee and beverage industry trends, and Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) also continues to bring you professional coffee knowledge exchange. [more…]

Recently, the hit drama "The Tale of Rose" has sparked widespread discussion, and news of Luckin Coffee's co-branding with it was also exposed in advance on social platforms, with photos of merchandise, cup sleeves, paper bags, and other materials quickly circulating. Internal employees shared new test questions, indirectly confirming the authenticity of the co-branding campaign and revealing that the limited-edition new product is Yellow Rose Latte. The campaign is expected to launch on the 24th, but the news became known to the public nearly two weeks in advance. Some believe that releasing information while the drama's popularity is at its peak is a win-win for both the brand and the production team; others have noticed that employees are required to comply with social media confidentiality rules, yet material leaks occur repeatedly. Behind this "double standard" phenomenon, who exactly should be responsible for internal information leaks? This article will sort out the sequence of events and explore the delicate relationship among the brand, employees, and netizens. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's co-branding campaign with the Lunar New Year film "Creation of the Gods II" has officially launched, with the simultaneous release of a pistachio latte and movie-themed merchandise. However, the first batch of consumers who tried the new product gave polarized reviews of its taste, with many reporting a noticeable greasiness and the inability to substitute oat milk with regular milk. Even more surprising to merchandise collectors was that the co-branded limited-edition cup sleeves were urgently recalled by headquarters due to a printing error, and themed cup sleeves would no longer be offered during the campaign. Meanwhile, misprinted cup sleeves have appeared for sale at high prices on second-hand platforms, sparking considerable skepticism. This article will sort through the sequence of events and the reactions from all sides. [more…]

Cotti Coffee announced on February 28 a co-branding partnership with the hit mobile game Honor of Kings, launching the Peach Drunk series of drinks and limited-edition merchandise inspired by the classic images of three highly popular characters: Gongsun Li, Yang Yuhuan, and Wu Zetian. The news immediately drew attention. Although the official launch date has not yet been announced, store materials and netizen photos have already leaked in advance, and store staff revealed that the new products will officially launch on March 6. This is not Cotti's first time using co-branding to build hype. From sponsoring the Argentina team at the World Cup to partnering with the streetwear brand SMILEY, this brand, established only four months ago, is seizing the market through a path of "rapid store expansion + ultra-low prices + marketing," and has proclaimed a goal of 10,000 stores by 2025. However, data from Zhaomen Canyan shows that it actually covers only 81 cities with 232 stores, a gap from the advertised "a hundred cities, a thousand stores." Whether Cotti, which is repeating Luckin's old path, can succeed still remains to be seen. [more…]

Cotti Coffee's official announcement of a new brand ambassador triggered a surge in store orders, and Luckin Coffee's livestream channel promptly featured group-buying links that appeared to be riding the traffic. A coffee business war revolving around celebrity traffic seems to have quietly begun. As the traffic-driving effects of price wars and co-branded merchandise gradually wear off, brands are turning their eyes to fan groups willing to keep paying for their idols. Can this consumption shift from "buying the trinket while returning the pearl" to "spending for love" become a new path for coffee brands to break through? Under the halo of celebrity, will coffee itself be forgotten by consumers? [more…]

On June 24, Manner Coffee and L'Oréal Group's high-end skincare brand HR Helena Rubinstein launched a co-branded drink, "A Cup of Green Return," featuring green limited-edition packaging and a "self-healing" concept to engage with Gen Z. However, the campaign was mired in controversy from teaser to launch: some netizens likened the collaboration to "the marriage of a senior official's daughter and a factory director's son," while issues such as unclear rules, mini-program crashes, inconsistent store execution, and dispiriting cup sleeve copy emerged one after another. Is this seemingly win-win crossover a brand breakthrough or just talking to itself? This article will review the entire event and retain professional coffee information channels such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Luckin Coffee officially announced on September 23 a collaboration with *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean* for October, launching themed events across its nationwide stores. This is not Luckin's first crossover; previous partnerships with Coconut Palm and EDG both sparked heated discussion. Looking across the coffee and tea beverage sector, Manner's collaborations with Helena Rubinstein and LV, Heytea's tie-in with *A Dream of Splendor*, and Nayuki's partnership with *Love Between Fairy and Devil*—brand co-branding has become an important strategy for breaking fixed impressions and achieving customer base complementarity. This article reviews several recent typical cases and includes Front Street Coffee's professional communication channels for coffee enthusiasts to gain deeper insight into industry trends. [more…]

Competition in the coffee market is becoming increasingly fierce. The traffic-driving effects of price wars and co-branding campaigns are gradually weakening, and brands are beginning to shift their attention to fan groups willing to spend money on their idols. Recently, Cotti's official announcement of a new spokesperson triggered a surge in store orders, while a group-buy link in Luckin's livestream with a fan nickname prefix once again set public opinion abuzz. Is this a carefully planned business war or fans spontaneously generating momentum? Can celebrity endorsements bring sustained purchasing power to brands, and will they blur consumers' focus on coffee products themselves? This article will guide you through the business logic and hidden concerns behind this traffic marketing. [more…]

At the start of 2024, the co-branding wars in the coffee industry are intensifying, with Luckin, Cotti, and Starbucks all making their moves, and Peet's Coffee not to be outdone, teaming up with the Dunhuang Museum to launch themed merchandise and two signature drinks. However, once the new products were in hand, they drew complaints from consumers because the cream top melted quickly and the drinks' appearance differed too much from the promotional posters. This article reviews the highlights and controversies of this co-branding campaign, and explores the widespread "buyer's show vs. seller's show" problem with hot drinks topped with cream. For coffee lovers who enjoy trying new things, this is undoubtedly a consumer experience case worth paying attention to. [more…]

In the first week of September, Luckin Coffee and Moutai's co-branded sauce-flavored latte set a new record with 5.42 million cups sold on the first day and over 100 million yuan in sales, dominating trending topics on platforms like Weibo and Douyin for consecutive days. Along with the product's explosive popularity, there were also incidents such as customers smashing stores, infringement disputes, and revelations about the ingredients. The supplier confirmed that the thick milk contains Moutai liquor, and the bottles are recycled. Moutai officially emphasized that unauthorized addition of Moutai to coffee for sale constitutes infringement. The chairman of Moutai revealed plans to launch youth-oriented products like liquor-filled chocolates. Luckin distributed red envelopes to thank its employees. This collaboration became a unique memory of young people's first taste of Moutai and has people looking forward to Luckin's next cross-industry partnership. [more…]

When Italian coffee brand Lavazza meets fellow Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini, a cross-industry collaboration once again ignites consumer enthusiasm. On June 11, Lamborghini's official website announced a partnership with Lavazza, under which the two parties will hold events and offer coffee experiences in Italy and international markets, and visitors to the Lamborghini Automobile Museum can also taste Lavazza coffee while admiring classic car models. Subsequently, Lavazza launched a limited-edition "Shake & Go Series" in China, featuring two flavors, "Summer Mango Coconut" and "Pineapple Sea," priced at 48 yuan for two cups, with accompanying co-branded special shaker bottles and phone lanyards and other merchandise, triggering a buying frenzy among netizens. Front Street Coffee has long followed such cross-industry developments, and this article will sort out the product details and market response of this collaboration and explore how brand collaborations can achieve a communication effect of 1+1>2. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's Raw Cheese Latte, launched in collaboration with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, broke new product first-sale records the moment it hit the market, selling 1.31 million cups in a single day, surpassing 6.59 million cups in total sales within 7 days, and dominating discussions across major social platforms. This coffee, marketed for its cheesy aroma, stands clearly apart from the Raw Coconut Latte and Thick Milk Latte, and has also sparked both celebration and controversy among JoJo fans. From product development to IP selection and the pacing of its marketing rollout, Luckin's collaboration can be considered a textbook example of creating a hit. This article will offer a comprehensive analysis of why this Raw Cheese Latte went viral, from the perspectives of sales data, flavor innovation, fan feedback, and ACG marketing trends. [more…]

This Monday, Luckin Coffee's collaboration event with the domestic AAA game Black Myth: Wukong officially launched. However, on the first day, issues such as ordering system failures, merchandise selling out instantly, and redemption anomalies pushed it onto Weibo's trending topics. Players stayed up late to wait and got up early to snap up items, only to encounter situations like "sold out," "unable to redeem," and "stores not receiving stock," with complaints flooding social media. Meanwhile, collaboration posters were being resold at high prices on second-hand platforms. Luckin officially responded later that the system had been repaired and issued a restocking notice, with an estimated production cycle of about 15 days. This article reviews the complete process of this collaboration event and consumer feedback. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's co-branded campaign with the popular IP Butterbear launched on September 30, introducing four themed cups and a Little Butter drink series that drew widespread attention from fans. However, after the campaign began, many consumers reported that orders placed through third-party platforms such as Ele.me did not come with the co-branded stickers, which was inconsistent with the official promotion's promise of "free with any 2 cups." Customer service responded that peripherals could only be obtained by ordering through the Luckin App or mini-program, prompting consumer questions about the lack of transparency in channel rules. The incident reflects the problem of inconsistent messaging in brands' multi-platform marketing and serves as a reminder that consumers should carefully confirm giveaway conditions before placing orders. [more…]

On Monday morning, the first thing many office workers do is head to a Luckin store—not just for a caffeine fix, but to get their hands on the new co-branded drink with the Doraemon movie. This beverage, called "Ice Suck Coconut Latte," adds a cooling factor to the classic Coconut Latte, officially described as a combination of "coconut coffee + intense icy sensation." On the day it launched, social platforms like Xiaohongshu exploded, with netizens using phrases like "a propeller blowing cold air into my mouth" and "my throat was sent to a freezer" to describe that sharp chill shooting straight to the brain. Some see it as a savior on hot days, while others find it like a surprise attack of wind-oil. So, is this co-branded coffee actually good? Is the cooling sensation a gimmick or real skill? This article will start from a hands-on test experience and take you to explore this 22nd-century-style Ice Suck Coconut Latte. [more…]

The co-branding campaign between Chagee and "Ne Zha 2" had not yet been officially announced, but a large number of leaked merchandise images had already surfaced on social media, sparking heated discussion among fans. However, as more images were exposed, merchandise enthusiasts who had been full of anticipation discovered that the square badges in this design bore a striking resemblance to competitor Cotti's fridge magnets, and the quality also fell short of expectations, with disappointment written all over their faces. Facing the growing public discourse, Chagee's official account appeared in the comments section to debunk rumors and try to soothe fans' emotions. Meanwhile, Cotti, which was the first to launch its co-branded campaign, won praise for its sincerity and after-sales service, invisibly putting comparative pressure on Chagee. How will this co-branding controversy unfold? And what gaps exist between fans' expectations and the brand's preparations? [more…]

The recently popular drama "The Tale of Rose" has sparked a wave of coffee collaborations. Luckin drew inspiration from the iconic yellow rose in the show and launched a Yellow Rose Latte along with a matching three-piece set of paper bags, cup sleeves, and keychains. Purchasing the double-cup package would earn a limited-edition collaboration keychain, and as soon as the news broke, it ignited a buying frenzy among drama fans and coffee lovers. However, because stock of the merchandise at each store was extremely limited, many consumers came eager but left empty-handed, and social media was filled with cries of lament. Even more dramatically, the keychain posted by lead actress Liu Yifei was actually not produced by Luckin, adding a touch of controversy to this collaboration campaign. This article walks you through the whole story of this buying frenzy. [more…]

Starbucks' mini-program and App suddenly experienced a coupon bug, quickly shooting to the top of trending searches, after which the system entered a maintenance state. Official customer service said it was a system malfunction and that issued coupons could still be redeemed normally. However, the timing of the incident was sensitive, and many netizens speculated about the motives behind it—either to divert public pressure from the foreign object incident the previous day, or to respond to the sales heat of Luckin and Coconut Palm's co-branded Coconut Cloud Latte, which sold 660,000 cups on its first day. In the foreign object incident, the store manager's response and the "deaf-mute partner" explanation sparked controversy, casting a shadow over Starbucks' long-cultivated image of being friendly to disabled employment. At the same time, Starbucks' 24 solar terms series drinks received a lukewarm market response. How exactly should the brand rebuild consumer trust? This article sorts out the timeline of events and viewpoints from all sides for you. [more…]

On the evening of November 12, Manner Coffee launched a new Caramel Cocoa series and announced a collaboration with high-end fragrance brand Jo Malone, where purchasing designated drinks would earn a complimentary perfume gift bag. The campaign triggered a frenzy of consumer purchasing as soon as it went live, causing the Manner mini-program to crash by the morning of the 13th, and chaos on delivery platforms with no one accepting orders and orders being forcibly canceled. Although the official system was announced as restored around 10 a.m., almost all stores had already run out of gifts. While this co-branded marketing campaign grabbed plenty of attention, it also exposed many shortcomings in Manner's system capacity, store staffing, and event planning. Many consumers described the experience as terrible and called on the brand to reduce hunger marketing. [more…]

Chinese brand Six God floral water is once again making waves with a crossover collaboration, this time teaming up with Lelecha to launch a drink called "Mint Melon Ice Coconut." Its bottle closely resembles the classic floral water packaging, quickly sparking heated discussion online. This drink blends mint, melon, and coconut milk, and netizens describe its taste as refreshing—not the dark, floral-water flavor one might imagine. The product has sold out in some stores, with limited restocking nationwide starting September 25. In recent years, Six God has been making frequent crossover moves, previously collaborating with KFC and RIO to launch coffee-flavored floral water and floral water cocktails, each time successfully catching consumers' attention. This article will detail the taste, price, consumer feedback, and Six God's past crossover cases for this co-branded milk tea, taking you behind the business logic of brand mashups. [more…]