Introduction:A splash of bright northeastern floral in the cold winter has once again made Honey Snow Ice City a hot topic online. This year, the brand launched themed refrigerator magnets and crispy fries accessories featuring floral cotton-padded jackets, but they are only available at stores in the northeast and north China regions, sparking dissatisfaction among many southern consumers. What are the considerations behind this regional limited marketing campaign? And how did the northeastern floral culture become so popular? This article takes you deep into the event details and industry trends.
When the cold winds blow fiercely, a dazzling “northeastern floral” pattern can always add a touch of warmth and vitality to snow-covered streets. The well-known tea beverage brand Honey Snow Ice City, famed for its high cost-performance ratio, has recently once again cleverly utilized this visually distinctive local element to successfully capture the attention of many consumers.
The brand officially announced the launch of new themed merchandise centered around the “floral cotton-padded jacket.” Customers who purchase designated drinks may randomly receive an exquisite series of refrigerator magnets featuring the floral cotton-padded jacket design, as well as specially made crispy fries. In the promotional posters released by the brand, the rich winter atmosphere of the northeast leaps off the page, making one feel as if they are in the snow-blanketed northern land.
This limited-edition release includes four refrigerator magnet designs, carefully crafted with themes such as the floral cotton-padded jacket, floral bath towel, floral washbasin, and floral quilt—each brimming with strong local life elements. Many netizens have expressed an immediate desire to collect them and rushed to stores to experience this unique “northeastern floral” charm.
The so-called “northeastern floral cotton-padded jacket” is actually a traditional winter garment that has been passed down for a long time in northern China, especially in the three northeastern provinces. The most distinctive feature of these garments is their use of extremely bright color combinations, commonly dominated by bold reds and greens. They are not only warm and practical but also exude a rich folk flavor.
Tracing back in history, this vibrantly patterned cotton-padded jacket has accompanied northern women and children through decades of harsh winters, becoming an essential item for keeping out the cold. In recent years, whether on social media or at northeastern winter tourist attractions, many internet celebrities, local restaurants, and scenic areas have reinterpreted this traditional garment in innovative ways, giving it a fresh sense of fashion.
Among the most talked-about instances, none stands out more than when the famous actress Zhang Xinyu appeared on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in France several years ago wearing a “northeastern floral cotton-padded jacket” outfit. At the time, commentators noted that this garment originating from folk tradition had successfully stepped onto the international stage, showcasing a unique oriental aesthetic to the world.
It’s worth mentioning that this is not the first time Honey Snow Ice City has launched a winter marketing campaign inspired by the “floral cotton-padded jacket.” Going back to November last year, a video showing the brand mascot “Snow King” wearing an oversized floral cotton-padded jacket, tied with a red scarf, holding a bright pink fan, and joyfully dancing the yangko dance in the snow quickly went viral online. It is understood that the total views of this video across major social platforms have exceeded 60 million.
While the video was creating a craze, the brand simultaneously launched a themed “floral cotton-padded jacket” peripheral campaign. Consumers who purchased any drink could receive a free creative cup sleeve printed with the floral cotton-padded jacket design. This move brought smiles to many netizens, who joked, “Even the bubble tea is warmer dressed than I am,” further boosting drink sales.
However, although the “Snow King” once again appeared this winter in the familiar northeastern floral cotton-padded jacket look, the campaign strategy was markedly different from last year’s. Compared to the nationwide store participation seen the previous year, this year’s campaign scope has significantly shrunk, being limited to stores in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. This move immediately sparked dissatisfaction among many southern consumers, with some even half-jokingly saying they would ask friends in the north to buy bubble tea on their behalf to collect the peripherals.
Even within the limited regions, many consumers reported that the floral cotton-padded jacket series peripherals were in short supply and not easy to collect in full. A netizen from Shenyang shared that ever since learning about the collaboration, they had been eagerly waiting. When the event finally started, they excitedly visited three nearby stores only to be told the items were out of stock. In the end, they could only order a drink and envy the peripherals other lucky customers were showing off online.
In recent years, “buying drinks and getting peripherals” has become a common promotional tactic in the new-style tea beverage industry. Many consumers go out of their way to purchase designated drinks just to collect limited-edition cup sleeves, refrigerator magnets, or tote bags, thereby driving overall sales growth. But along with this comes no shortage of complaints from customers about peripheral shortages, and unfulfilled expectations compared to what was advertised. Industry experts point out that while brands plan eye-catching marketing campaigns, they should also properly manage material supplies and store distribution to ensure a good consumer experience and avoid damaging brand reputation due to execution oversights.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
