Cotti Coffee Swings Into Marvel's Spider-Verse with a Pineapple Summer Drop

Every summer blockbuster season, the same question floats around China's internet: which coffee chain is getting the Marvel collab this time? On July 27, the answer landed — and it came with a pineapple.

Cotti Coffee has launched a full co-branded campaign with
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
, the latest animated installment in the Spider-Verse series that just hit Chinese theaters. But the real move here isn't just slapping a logo on a cup. Cotti timed the partnership to debut an entirely new product line: the "pineapple series." Drinks include a Pineapple Americano, Pineapple Light Coconut Water, and a pineapple-themed Cotti Ice — all positioned as the official "viewing buddy" for Marvel fans heading to the cinema.

The merch lineup doesn't skimp either. Beyond co-branded cups, Cotti produced fridge magnets, stickers, and a standout item: a color-changing cup that reacts to both cold temperatures
and
light — designed to bring a little "silver-screen spectacle" into everyday life. The brand is also running nationwide outdoor-screen promotions for the film, encouraging fans to hit those digital billboards and "awaken their own superpowers."

For those tracking China's coffee wars, Cotti's strategy here is worth noting. Luckin Coffee has long been the brand most associated with aggressive IP partnerships and seasonal pop-culture tie-ins. Cotti, which has been expanding rapidly with a franchise-heavy model and budget-friendly pricing, is now visibly competing for the same young, pop-culture-literate consumer base. A Spider-Verse collab — with its built-in Gen-Z and millennial fandom — is a sharp way to signal cultural relevance without just fighting on price.

Why pineapple, though? The Chinese name of the campaign includes a pun around "菠" (pineapple), playing on the casual phrase "this wave is explosive" — a bit of Mandarin wordplay that lands better in Chinese but translates loosely as "this pineapple hits hard." It's a classic Cotti move: playful, internet-native, and not too serious. The pineapple itself is refreshing and summer-coded, making it an easy fit for a moviegoing ritual. Grab a cold drink, watch Spider-Man swing, repeat.

It's not Cotti's first IP rodeo either. In recent months, the brand has linked up with the Chinese anime
Under One Person
(一人之下) and the classic Japanese character Chibi Maruko-chan (樱桃小丸子), along with an art collaboration with London-based illustrator Hattie Stewart. The pattern is clear: nostalgia, animation, pop art. Spider-Man fits the portfolio neatly.

Whether the pineapple drinks actually taste good is almost beside the point. What Cotti is building is a habit: you're not just going for a coffee — you're picking up your "viewing buddy" before the film. For a brand still carving its identity in China's saturated coffee market, that's a smart seat to claim.