China Insider

News.

What we're reading, writing, and arguing about — every week.

Marketing

Didi's Spider-Man cars are turning random rides into Marvel cameos

Sometimes you open a car door and get a silent driver with the AC cranked too high. Other times, you get Spider-Man.

Aug 62 min read
Tech

Apple's 'Relax, It's iPhone' Campaign Hits Chinese Streets — But Gen Z Isn't Relaxing

Apple just took its long-running "Relax, it's iPhone" tagline to outdoor billboards in China for the first time — and the internet's response has been equal par

Aug 63 min read
Marketing

Midea's Billboards Look Like They're Melting — And That's the Point

It's been scorching across China, and instead of fighting the weather, Midea decided to let it do the talking.

Aug 52 min read
Food & Beverage

Buy two drinks, get a whole watermelon: Mixue stores launch a giveaway to help farmers

Mixue customers in parts of eastern China are walking out of stores with more than iced drinks. Some are carrying an entire watermelon.

Aug 43 min read
Food & Beverage

Wanglaoji and Tsingtao Just Made a Beer-Flavored Herbal Tea (Zero Alcohol, Zero Regrets)

Some collaborations make you nod. This one makes you do a double-take, then immediately want to try it.

Aug 22 min read
Marketing

Budweiser turned China's breakfast tables into World Cup watch parties

World Cup matches kicking off at 7 AM Beijing time posed a quiet problem: Chinese fans, who normally pack bars for late-night games, suddenly had nowhere to go.

Aug 22 min read
Luxury

Taobao's Maison Margiela Collab: Your First Piece of 'Margiela' Costs Just ¥318

Owning a piece of Maison Margiela usually requires a four-figure commitment and the nerve to walk into a boutique where the sales staff are dressed in lab coats

Aug 12 min read
Gaming

In Honor of Kings, You Can Now Grow Your Own Tea — And It's a Collab With a Real Tea Giant

On July 24, tea brand Bawang Chaji (霸王茶姬) did something that sounds like a stoner idea but is apparently very real: it partnered with Honor of Kings and Honor o

Aug 12 min read
Food & Beverage

Chayan Yuese Is Letting Customers Redraw Its Logo — And Printing the Weirdest Ones

Most brands guard their logo like a crown jewel. Chayan Yuese (茶颜悦色) just handed the jewel box to its fans and said: go wild.

Jul 311 min read
Food & Beverage

KFC Just Declared a Potato War — and McDonald's Is Already in the Trenches

McDonald's China has spent the last few weeks watching its fans go feral over fries.

Jul 312 min read
Marketing

Kimi's New Ad Doesn't Talk About AI — It Just Asks You to Find a Number

Kimi just dropped an ad that barely feels like an ad — and definitely doesn't feel like an AI ad. No sweeping CGI cities.

Jul 302 min read
Food & Beverage

Luckin and Duolingo's 'Marriage' Just Had a Baby — and the Internet Is Obsessed

Last summer, Luckin Coffee and Duolingo did something that shouldn't have worked: they got "married.

Jul 302 min read