Chagee returns to its Yunnan roots: Key takeways
- Chagee connects its Yunnan origins with products, packaging and Li Xian’s campaign imagery
- Pu’er-based drinks give consumers a tangible connection to the regional story
- Repeating Return to Yunnan strengthens the association between Chagee and its birthplace over time.
Chagee (霸王茶姬) is taking consumers back to where it all began: Yunnan province. It’s the latest in an instalment titled Return to Yunnan (归云南) launched last December. This year the ads pair actor Li Xian (李现) with pu’er-based drinks, mountain-themed packaging and travel-inspired merchandise.
The campaign follows Li through Yunnan’s mountain scenery. The imagery is designed to connect the drinks to the landscapes where Chagee’s tea grows. The brand was founded in the province in 2017, and Yunnan is known for its tea culture.
The brand was founded in the province in 2017, and Yunnan is known for its tea culture
Among the additions is a new tea latte with a buttery aroma that combines the richness of Menghai tea with sweetness from Lincang, alongside cassia seeds and barley. Returning drinks, Caramel Cloud (云焦卡美罗) and Pu’er Cloud (云漫普洱), retain their flavours while receiving a packaging refresh.
The scenic Yunnan imagery carries through to the merchandise: Fridge magnets and travel notebook sets accompany packaging themed around what you might translate as the golden glow of sunlight on mountain peaks (日照金山).
A WeChat mini-program activity then invites consumers to share moments from their journeys, with opportunities to win themed merchandise and drinks.
The Dao view: More than a birthplace
There’s a lot going on here, and it’s all feeding into each other. Yunnan gives Chagee a recognisable story around which they can build connections to the drinks, the packaging and a celebrity campaign. The product gives that story substance: consumers encounter the province through a flavour as well as simple images.
Yunnan gives Chagee a recognisable story around which they can build connections to the drinks, the packaging and a celebrity campaign
The real aim here is to strengthen the association between Chagee and its birthplace. Launching successive seasonal campaigns drives the message home across a longer time frame.
It also allows Chagee to refresh old products and highlight their past creation. Essentially, this is more than just a pretty picture. It’s a campaign that’s doing a lot of heavy lifting for the brand.
