Minute Maid, or as it’s marketed in China “Meizhiyuan” (美汁源), entered the country in 2004. To celebrate its 20th anniversary in China the Coca-Cola Company-owned juice brand launched a campaign called “美好小卖部” (happy or beautiful general store). With a nostalgic general store being the key concept, the campaign spanned nearly a month, from online to offline and included many interactive elements.
On 6 March, Minute Maid started its general store with a livestream featuring brand ambassador, actress Esther Yu Shuxin which garnered 13 million views. Followers of the brand could visit a virtual version of the general store through the WeChat Mini Program. At the virtual store participants could also play nostalgic mini-games such as hopscotch and orange-shaped whac-a-mole. The Mini Program included a photo booth which enabled you to “take a picture with Yu” and playing the games and commenting online could both lead to prizes being won. On Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, the topic “Minute Maid Happy General Store” gained 41.37 million views.
Minute Maid produced 4 short films about nostalgic childhood stories taking place in the 2000s in different regions of China. In the same vein, the brand also called for submissions of stories between consumers and Minute Maid. Offline, a pop-up general store landed in Shanghai between 29-31 March, where visitors could play the nostalgic games and physically take pictures at the photo booth.
At the same time, Minute Maid also launched a new logo in China, in line with the global rebrand. Minute Maid is known in China for its orange juice drink with bits, which was developed for China specifically and launched in 2004. The brand joined Coca-Cola Companies’ list of “billion-dollar brands” in just 5 years. Juice drinks accounted for 15.79% of income for Coca-Cola in China last year with its 3.39 billion RMB (467.43 million USD). This also makes China the second-largest market for Minute Maid globally.
With localised branding and products, “Meizhuyuan” has become a big part of the younger generations’ childhood with many not knowing it is indeed an American brand founded in 1945. The latest campaign drives home the nostalgic emotional value the brand provides but also looks to the future with its new branding.
