Introduction:When tea beverage brands encounter traditional religious culture, where is the boundary of creative marketing? The "Buddha Joy Tea" series, a collaboration between HEYTEA and the China Ceramics Museum in Jingdezhen, which featured religious imagery such as bodhisattvas and arhats on packaging, was swiftly summoned for talks and taken off shelves within just a few days. This article delves into the full story of the incident, explores the legal red lines of commercializing religious elements, and examines how the coffee and tea beverage industries can mitigate risks and balance creativity with compliance in co-branding marketing.
The "Buddha Joy Tea" tea latte series launched by HEYTEA in partnership with the China Ceramics Museum in Jingdezhen printed solemn images of bodhisattvas and arhats on cup designs, originally intending to blend traditional culture with modern tea beverages. However, it was urgently removed from the market just days after its launch. The Shenzhen Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau deemed this move as "pushing the boundaries," and after consultations among multiple departments, HEYTEA was summoned for talks. The brand quickly rectified the issue, and related products were completely taken off sale on December 3.
This co-branded series was initially HEYTEA’s first attempt at the "tea latte" category. On its first day of sales, it achieved impressive sales figures. Some stores sold out of the “Buddha Joy” combo meals by the morning, with the “Speechless Bodhisattva” cup becoming a viral hit. Consumers joked that “even the Buddha has come to work,” and even playfully suggested that after drinking the milk tea, one could place the cup on their desk and pray with folded hands for blessings, rapidly fueling the topic’s popularity.
However, controversy soon followed. Some consumers questioned, “How exactly did this collaboration consult with the bodhisattvas? By phone or WeChat?” More people expressed concern about disrespect toward religious imagery, arguing that even if only patterns, they should be treated with basic reverence. Legal experts pointed out that China's "Regulations on Religious Affairs" and the "Several Opinions on Further Addressing the Commercialization of Buddhism and Taoism" clearly prohibit the use of religious figures for commercial promotion.
Staff from the Shenzhen Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau revealed that after deliberation by multiple departments, HEYTEA’s actions were a typical case of “pushing the boundaries.” “Currently, we can only summon them for talks, which is also one of the legal measures.” It is reported that HEYTEA cooperated positively, submitting a rectification report on Friday evening, and related products were completely removed from shelves on December 3. Currently, on HEYTEA’s ordering mini-program, the "Buddha Joy Tea" series is nowhere to be found, having been replaced by a new product called “Old Bush Tea Latte.”
When explaining the reason for the removal to the public, HEYTEA customer service stated: “We will comprehensively consider the raw material cycle of drinks and feedback to arrange the listing and delisting of tea beverages,” but did not directly address whether the packaging issue led to the removal. Notably, the “Buddha Joy” trademark had previously been applied for registration by multiple parties in categories such as catering, accommodation, jewelry, and watches, but all these applications have now been rejected and are invalid.
As an industry-renowned “co-branding maniac,” HEYTEA has often attracted consumers through cross-industry collaborations, but has also faced controversies in the past with partnerships such as with Mr Muscle and Genshin Impact. However, previous issues mostly remained at the level of public opinion, whereas this time it touched on sensitive religious topics and escalated to the legal level, undoubtedly serving as a wake-up call for the entire coffee and tea beverage industry.
For professionals in the coffee industry, this incident highlights the potential risks in co-branding marketing. When engaging in cross-industry collaborations, it is essential to thoroughly understand relevant laws and regulations, especially when dealing with sensitive elements such as culture and religion, where careful assessment is even more critical. Experts suggest that before planning co-branded activities, sufficient legal compliance reviews should be conducted, and the cultural sensitivities of target markets should be considered, to avoid crossing legal boundaries due to overly creative approaches.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
