HEYTEA, China’s most popular tea drink brand and the creator of the Cheezo Tea, has launched a crossover collaboration with Hiroshi Fujiwara, known as the “Godfather of Streetwear”, and his design agency, Fragment. As tastemakers in their respective fields, the two parties fused their unique take on the HEYTEA brand attitude of “stay inspired and cool” to release the co-branded “BLACK TEA” campaign.
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The collaboration went instantly viral when it was announced on social media on April 7, with the hashtag #HEYTEA x Hiroshi Fujiwara# breaking through as a top trending topic on Weibo, China’s Twitter, garnering more than 27 million views.
The campaign’s special “BLACK TEA” drink, made of Aqua Green Jasmine Tea, mulberry, and strawberry, was eagerly snapped up by consumers. In the first two weeks of its release, it sold more than one million units. Meanwhile, the collaboration’s co-designed, limited edition tumblers and tea cups sold out in mere seconds when released at 10:00 AM on April 15. Several HEYTEA boutiques in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu were made over in the crossover’s distinctive aesthetics, attracting significant consumer attention and becoming the latest destination for social media check-ins.
Consumers have even gotten into the “BLACK TEA” spirit on Chinese social media such as Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-type channel, giving full play to their creativity by recreating other products from the collaboration, which include cups, paper bags, and thermal bags. Transforming them into vases, backpacks, and tissue boxes, they have inspired a surge in user-generated content across digital platforms.
This collaboration is the first time that Fujiwara has teamed up with a Chinese tea drink brand, which has significantly boosted his popularity among the Chinese youth and won him legions of new fans. The momentum activated by the explosive consumer reaction and wave of UGC has resulted in an unprecedented, in-depth engagement between Fujiwara and his Chinese fans.
