After the two hugely successful collaborations with the animated series Heaven Official’s Blessing, or Tian Guan Ci Fu (天官赐福, TGCF) based on the novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (MXTX), Goodme (Guming) has come back with another collab. This time, the Goodme co-branding is with another blockbusting IP from the MXTX catalogue, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, or Mo Dao Zu Shi (魔道祖师, MDZS). Like the TGCF collab, the team-up is with the animated series.
The collab started on 1 November after a “happy birthday” livestream for the protagonist Wei Ying. The main campaign will be in two phases with different drinks for each, one batch with Da Hong Pao tea as the base and the other coffee-based. Other drinks are also included in the co-branded sets for more options.
Concept stores in 16 cities across China and large screen billboards in 17 locations were launched on 1 November to celebrate the team-up. Goodme, of course, is not skimping on gifts and merch. From the staples such as cups and bags to pins, magnets and stickers, all the way to glasses and acrylic cutouts for the characters – the tea chain is going all out for fan service.
On Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, the topic “Goodme MDZS animation collaboration” (#古茗魔道祖师动画联名#) gained an impressive 87.13 million views. Many posts are about the billboards and concept branches. With many fans dressing up for the occasion, one comment sums up the sentiment: “I thought I was at an anime convention.”
Recently it was reported that Goodme, along with Mixue Bingcheng and Auntea Jenny have all had their prospectus at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange expire without updating it. This is reportedly due to the current public Chinese tea and coffee companies not doing well. With another major collab campaign and the recent soft launch of its coffee line, Goodme might be adjusting to a new strategy.
