Introduction:Luckin Coffee’s collaboration with the popular IP Butter Bear, featuring adorable themed cups and the "Little Butter" series of drinks, attracted numerous consumers. However, discrepancies in the rules for giving out collaboration stickers sparked controversy. This article explains the differences between purchasing through official and third-party platforms, teaching you how to correctly obtain limited-edition merchandise and avoid misunderstandings that could affect your collecting experience.
Launched on September 30, Luckin Coffee’s collaboration with Butter Bear quickly became a market focal point. The event not only introduced four exquisitely designed themed cups but also featured newly launched "Little Butter" drinks, including the Little Butter Latte and Little Butter Americano, successfully drawing the attention of a large fan base. However, many consumers soon discovered that when purchasing the same items on third-party platforms like Ele.me, they did not receive the collaboration stickers as advertised with the claim of “any 2 drinks get a sticker,” leading to much discussion and confusion.
According to consumer feedback, they were initially motivated to purchase because of the official promotion stating “any 2 drinks get a collaboration bear sticker.” But after placing orders on third-party platforms such as Ele.me, they did not receive the stickers they were entitled to. When they contacted customer service for clarification, they received varying responses, including claims that the store was out of stock, differences in product bundles, or even direct replies stating that it depended on the actual situation at the store, leaving consumers quite bewildered. After multiple inquiries, some consumers finally got a clear answer from official customer service: only orders placed through the Luckin app or mini-program are eligible for collaboration merchandise giveaways. This has led many to question the consistency of the brand’s information across different platforms.
In this collaboration, Luckin launched four themed cups: the regular hot drink cup, the light milk tea series extra-large cup, the regular cold cup, and the extra-large cold cup. Each is printed with different poses of the Butter Bear design, making them highly collectible. As for the new "Little Butter" series, the official description states that the Little Butter Latte uses imported New Zealand butter with an animal fat content of ≥99.8%, claimed to enhance richness by about 50%, delivering a strong buttery and nutty aroma; the Little Butter Americano emphasizes calorie control, with one cup being equivalent to the calories of about 1.3 apples—rich in flavor yet refreshing and guilt-free. These products are attractive in their own right, but what truly drives most consumers to place orders are the limited-edition collaboration merchandise such as stickers, card sleeves, and color-changing mugs, which are “available in limited quantities, first come first served.”
However, shortly after the collaboration began, many netizens started expressing dissatisfaction on social platforms, mainly regarding not receiving the advertised freebies when purchasing on third-party platforms. Some consumers pointed out that they chose to buy on Ele.me after seeing related promotions, but ultimately did not receive any merchandise. When they asked customer service, the responses varied—some stores said the giveaways were already out of stock, others claimed differences in product bundles, and some customer service directly stated that merchandise distribution depends on the actual situation at the store, leaving consumers at a loss. One consumer even waited nearly an hour to get through to a human operator on the official hotline, only to be told that orders placed on third-party platforms do not qualify for collaboration merchandise giveaways, and that purchases must be made through the Luckin app or mini-program to receive them.
Notably, while Luckin’s official Weibo account mentioned during the collaboration’s preview that “third-party delivery platform activities are subject to the actual situation at the store,” most netizens felt that the brand’s overall promotional language commonly used the phrase “buy any 2 drinks,” yet only specified the channel restrictions on the official app and Weibo. This approach can easily mislead consumers and affect their purchasing decisions. Some netizens also shared their experiences, suggesting that when ordering on third-party platforms, if you really want the freebies, you can try noting your request in the order comments—some stores may handle it at their discretion, but there’s no guarantee, so it’s advised to confirm in advance to avoid disappointment due to unmet expectations.
Additionally, observers have noted that Ele.me’s platform specifically offers “transcard meal combos” and “sticker combos” for this collaboration, further raising questions about the “any 2 drinks get a sticker” claim. If the official promotion truly allows any 2 drinks to come with free merchandise, the necessity of these exclusive combos is called into question, highlighting clear differences in Luckin’s promotional strategies between its own platform and third-party platforms. In response, some netizens suggest that if you order on a third-party platform but still want a sticker, you might as well communicate directly with customer service or note your request in the order—while there’s no guarantee of success, some stores may accommodate for customer satisfaction.
After the issue gained traction, many Luckin customer service representatives began proactively contacting consumers to request their order phone numbers for follow-up verification and resolution, showing that the brand has taken note of the problem and is attempting to make amends. For consumers, this incident also serves as a reminder to carefully read the rules of brand collaboration events, especially when purchasing across multiple platforms, paying attention to the specific conditions of each to avoid missing out on limited merchandise due to information asymmetry.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
