2023 Coffee Shop New Year Marketing: Coffee Brands Leverage the "Rabbit" Trend

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The Rise of Rabbit-Themed Coffee Marketing

Time flies. In the blink of an eye the Spring Festival is almost here, the Year of the Tiger is drawing to a close, and the Year of the Rabbit is just around the corner. The festive mood in the coffee and beverage world has already become unmistakable. In this age of universal IP, brands are grabbing the zodiac IP "Rabbit" and rolling out one marketing campaign after another, making the holiday feel richer by the day.

Recently, on social platforms, I've noticed the rabbit-themed campaigns from coffee brands growing more and more intense. Through all kinds of strategies, they lean on the "rabbit" pun, coining phrases with the character, and pairing the zodiac IP with auspicious sayings, all worked into their branding so they lodge in consumers' minds. New zodiac IP means new products, new packaging and new blessings. Let's take a look at some of the novel "creations."

Recently, Luckin Coffee announced on its official social channels that it had collaborated with Han Meilin, the designer of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Fuwa and a renowned contemporary artist, on a "Double Rabbit" series of new products: the "Promising Future Thick Milk Latte" and the "Great Red Rabbit Cheese Latte."

The collaboration designed trendy ink-wash-style cup sleeves, paper bags and the pun-named drinks, which drew many netizens in to try them. Some even started making DIY pieces out of the cup sleeves and paper bags.

Starbucks followed with three limited-edition coffee drinks "topped" with New Year blessings, along with a host of adorable rabbit-themed limited-edition merchandise. The Roasted Almond Milk Latte, Chestnut Velvet Macchiato and White Peach Matcha Latte each carried a blessing: "Crispy and Comfortable, Top-Notch State," "Smooth Chestnuts, Top-Notch Fortune," and "Peachy Vibe, Top-Notch Red Luck."

Starbucks' new Year of the Rabbit limited editions were released the same day. The zodiac rabbit mug set, the traditional cute rabbit-shaped piggy banks, and the "Persimmon Luck" rabbit cup-and-pot set all feature endearing, simple-and-adorable rabbit designs meant to build a rich Chinese New Year atmosphere through their shapes alone.

Even earlier, on January 4, Nestle announced that Nespresso, to welcome the Year of the Rabbit, had partnered with renowned Chinese fashion designer Angel Chen on limited-edition New Year coffee gift boxes, coffee machine sets and festive gifts. The collaboration blends a playful, creative style with an elegant, clever rabbit image to create an experience unique to the Year of the Rabbit.

According to reports, in keeping with a green, environmentally friendly concept, the design uses leftover materials from Angel Chen's earlier work, including wool, hand-woven fabric and lace, as well as material from Nespresso's recycled jute coffee bags. These were pieced together into rabbits, giving the remnants a second life.

Beyond the coffee giants above, other brands are launching their own New Year limited editions too, mostly riding the "rabbit" IP trend.

This IP works on two fronts: it generates topic buzz, and it inspires consumers to create derivative works around the zodiac. For many consumers, the twelve zodiac animals are not just twelve animals in the narrow sense; they represent and symbolize traditional Chinese culture and carry people's hopes and emotions for the year ahead. When brands communicate with the public through a zodiac IP everyone knows, consumers can hardly help being drawn to these adorable, playful animals.

On such a fiercely competitive track, it isn't enough to keep up with the latest marketing trends; you also have to meet consumer demand with the right products. Riding the "rabbit" IP wave, only by focusing on quality and consistently turning out superior products can a brand hope to succeed and stand out from the crowd.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Behind every seasonal latte is a milk-friendly blend, and that is exactly what FrontStreet Coffee's daily lineup is built for. FrontStreet Premium Blend and FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend are the best companions for milk: because Brazilian coffee dominates, a latte made with them shows complex nut flavors of almond, walnut and macadamia, silky and smooth on the tongue.

If you want a latte with a generous layer of crema, reach for FrontStreet Classic Blend or FrontStreet Commercial Blend. Each contains a small amount of Robusta, which supplies more golden foam and instantly maxes out the creamy body and caramel aroma. And for a fruit-forward, festive twist, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy blends Arabica from different regions into a vivid strawberry-gummy sweetness, happy to be served as a daily cup at home or as a distinctive milk drink in a cafe.