Introduction:When Ancient Ming collaborated with the popular game "Honkai: Star Rail" to launch a limited-edition fruit slush drink, it instantly triggered a frenzy of consumer purchases. The number of people queuing on the mini-program soared past 1.2 million, and the surge in store orders overwhelmed the blenders, causing them to overheat, smoke, and even break down. Staff were so busy they didn’t even have time to drink water. This article delves into the reasons behind the order explosion, the equipment crisis response, and explores potential optimizations such as selling drinks and merchandise separately, giving you an inside look at the real-world challenges behind the craze.
Ancient Ming’s crossover collaboration with the well-known game "Honkai: Star Rail" was met with an overwhelmingly positive market response. The limited-edition drinks launched with themed merchandise quickly attracted the attention of gamers and coffee enthusiasts alike. Shortly after the mini-program went live for ordering, the queue surged past 1.2 million within a short period, and related topics even topped the hot search charts, showcasing the immense popularity of this collaboration.
The star offerings of the campaign were all fruit-based slush drinks, including two fruit tea varieties: “Apple Golden Pineapple” and “Ultra A Cheese Grape.” Their preparation process is relatively complex. With demand skyrocketing, many stores faced unprecedented order pressure. On-site photos showed dozens or even hundreds of undelivered drinks piling up on counters, with printed order tags plastered all over the walls, placing immense psychological strain on the staff.
Despite increasing manpower to handle the flood of orders, stores struggled to keep up with the sudden surge in customer volume. Many staff members were so busy they didn’t even have time to drink water, struggling to maintain service efficiency. However, under intense continuous operation, the store blenders began to malfunction. Multiple machines started emitting white smoke from overuse, and some even broke down explosively, further escalating the tension on-site.
According to on-site Ancient Ming employees, the fruit slush drinks launched in this collaboration placed an extreme load on the blenders. Once the machines emitted a burnt smell due to prolonged operation, not only did it affect the flavor of the drinks, but it also slowed down overall production. To deal with unexpected equipment issues, some experienced stores prepared multiple blenders in advance, switching to backup units immediately upon detecting any malfunctions. Stores without spare machines had to temporarily borrow juicers from nearby beverage shops like Shu Yi Herbal Jelly or Luckin Coffee, while patiently explaining the situation to waiting customers.
Industry observers analyzed that the sudden influx of massive orders during this collaboration was closely tied to the game’s collectible merchandise mechanism. According to player estimates, to collect the full set of collaboration merchandise, at least 15 designated drinks needed to be purchased. As a result, many merchandise enthusiasts initially placed orders for 4 to 5 drinks, with some even buying a dozen at once, significantly amplifying the production burden on the stores.
Some participating consumers suggested that if brands were to follow the practices of other industry peers in the future—such as selling drinks and merchandise separately or introducing flexible options like drink storage services—it could not only reduce the workload on staff but also enhance the overall event experience, allowing both consumers and employees to enjoy a better interaction.
While the collaboration between Ancient Ming and "Honkai: Star Rail" achieved astonishing market success, it also exposed bottlenecks in equipment capacity and service processes under high demand. How to balance the excitement of a campaign with operational stability in future collaborations or promotional events will be an important challenge for both brands and stores to consider together.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
