Introduction:A “I Wanna Brew” series of lattes launched by a Beijing café, priced at 38 RMB and featuring marshmallows printed with male celebrities’ portraits, has attracted fans for photo opportunities while also sparking a controversy over portrait rights. This article delves into the marketing tactics, pricing strategy, and potential legal risks of this creative beverage, and offers practical advice on balancing commerce and compliance in coffee innovation.

Recently, a “I Wanna Brew” series of lattes introduced by a Beijing café has gone viral on social media. Priced at 38 RMB, the highlight of this latte is the marshmallow placed on top of the coffee, featuring a male celebrity’s portrait, creating a playful effect of “intimate contact” with the star. In addition to the single serving, the café also offers a 48 RMB duo set and an 88 RMB five-person option to cater to diverse fan needs.

From the menu design, the “I Wanna Brew” series lists multiple celebrity “single items,” which essentially means printing the celebrities’ portraits on marshmallows and placing them on top of the lattes. Notably, these marshmallows are not limited to just one per drink—customers can pay an extra 10 RMB per piece to add more, creating their own personalized lineup of stars.

The celebrities featured on the menu are mostly male entertainers, including popular young idols and veteran actors recognized for their talent. Interestingly, the café has also introduced humorous options such as “I Wanna Brew Energetic Girl Guo Degang” and “I Wanna Brew Smoking, Drinking, and Perming-Hair Yu Qian,” showcasing a blend of creativity and localization. According to the café, some popular options, such as the Guo Degang marshmallow, have even experienced “sold out” situations.

This novel presentation has successfully drawn many fans to the café for photo ops, and fans have even engaged in sales competitions akin to fan voting, extending their idol support into everyday consumption scenarios. However, this creativity has also received mixed reviews: some customers find it cute and attention-grabbing, while others say that the oversized facial marshmallows are unappetizing, with some even bluntly stating, “When you look closely, it kind of kills your appetite.”

Beyond differences in consumer acceptance, the bigger controversy surrounding this product lies in the legality of portrait rights. Although the café claims the emojis are freebies and not directly profitable, the product name and marshmallow design clearly use the celebrities’ images as a selling point. Legal experts point out that using public figures’ portraits as elements of commercial promotion generally requires proper authorization; otherwise, it may pose a risk of infringement.

The coffee industry has seen similar cases before: in August 2023, Shanghai-based Manner Coffee was fined 1,000 RMB by market regulators for producing and selling coffee featuring latte art resembling the “Bing Dwen Dwen” mascot without permission from the Olympic symbol rights holder. This incident serves as a reminder to the industry that even seemingly minor creative elements may involve copyright or portrait rights issues.

In an era where coffee products are becoming increasingly homogenized, many cafés are seeking differentiation in aspects such as ingredients, latte art, and packaging. From adjusting extraction parameters for pour over coffee, to innovating flavors in specialty drinks, to today’s cross-industry attempts combining pop culture, innovation is indeed a key way to attract customers. However, while pursuing buzz and sales, businesses should also fully assess legal risks to ensure that innovation remains within a reasonable and lawful framework.

For coffee professionals looking to experiment with innovative marketing, it is recommended to seek professional legal advice before incorporating public figures or popular elements, and to consider using original illustrations, abstract designs, or authorized materials. This approach can maintain creative vitality while effectively avoiding potential disputes.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.