Chagee × CLOT: Key takeaways
- Chagee and CLOT launched three matcha drinks with peel-back packaging that reveals co-branded motifs and potential prizes
- Badges, blind boxes and more than 200,000 winning cups turn product sampling into a collectable experience
- Despite CLOT’s previous HEYTEA partnership, Chagee differentiates its campaign through interactive packaging and spokesperson Lin Yi.
Chagee have teamed up with much-hyped Hong Kong man of fashion Edison Chen. He’s the eye behind CLOT, the brand that launched the highly popular Chinese-style Adidas jacket. He was also part of a big-hit HEYTEA collaboration (but let’s not remind Chagee of that).
This collaboration centres on a range of matcha drinks. Actor Lin Yi (林一) fronts the packaging on a trio of vanilla, jasmine, and peach-oolong varieties. Peeling that packaging away reveals CLOT’s pale-green geometrics and dragon motifs.
It’s also where a prize mechanic begins. More than 200,000 winning cups are in circulation, offering customers the chance to claim branded rugs, insulated flasks or drink vouchers. A linked mini-programme promises further prizes.
Lin Yi has been a brand friend since Jan 2025. Now he’s been bumped up to matcha-series spokesperson (抹茶系列代言人). His first job was announcing to customers that they should peel back that packaging – all done through his Weibo account to solid levels of engagement.
Incentives are also built into the purchasing process
Incentives are also built into the purchasing process. Selected single-drink sets include one of three random metal badges. Customers buying designated two-drink sets receive a blind box containing either a badge set or a plush accessory. But is this enough to stand out?
The Dao view: Differentiation is key here
CLOT’s dalliance with Chagee’s competitor needs mentioning. Ordinarily the past affiliation might be a reason to find alternatives. But this is China. The country’s collaboration cycle is a fickle thing. Consumers have likely moved on. If they haven’t, the HEYTEA x CLOT collab may even spark positive memories that drive purchases.
The important thing is that Chagee differentiate. They can’t be seen to do the same thing as HEYTEA. And they haven’t. The peel-back packaging provides a new way for consumers to interact with the collaboration, as well as a mechanism for merchandising. Adding Lin Yi’s face pushes it in new directions too. The engagement with his Weibo announcements shows that all this is working the way it should.
