News.
What we're reading, writing, and arguing about — every week.
BeautySK-II Just Collabed With a Tear-Stained Pop Mart Doll — and It Actually Makes Sense
SK-II just announced a Qixi (Chinese Valentine's Day) collaboration, and the partner might not be who you'd expect. It's not an A-list actress.
Marketing999皮炎平 Turns Itchy Red Bumps Into a World Cup Match in Dalian Metro
World Cup season means wall-to-wall sportswear ads, beer promos, and brands racing to slap a football on anything.
Food & Beverage柠季 just launched a horror game collab — and it's somehow the 4th time they've gone scary
On July 16, the day horror-puzzle series Paper Bride dropped its ninth installment Paper Bride: Luofu Dream across all platforms, Chinese lemon tea chain 柠季 (Ni
TechQQ Let the Internet Design Its Next Official Emoji — and the Winner Is Universally Relatable
For more than two decades, QQ's yellow face emoji have been non-negotiable. Tencent designed them.
Food & BeverageMcDonald’s newest merch lets you carry fries on both shoulders
McDonald’s China has turned one of its most disposable objects—the brown takeaway bag—into one of its most sought-after pieces of merchandise.
Food & BeverageLao Gan Ma now comes in shrimp crackers and potato chips
Oishi has teamed up with Lao Gan Ma to turn one of China’s most recognizable chili sauces into two convenience-store classics: shrimp crackers and potato chips.
MarketingThat Deflated Football in a Beijing Subway Station Is Actually a 350-Year-Old Pharmacy Talking to You
A limp, deflated football slumps against the wall of a Beijing subway corridor.
BeautyCetaphil Drafts Toy Story 5 to Make Sensitive Skin Care Feel Like Playtime
Movie-brand collabs in skincare usually follow a tired script: slap a character on the bottle, call it "limited edition," and hope for the best.
Food & BeverageCrayon Shin-chan Got a Tan, and It's China's Most Unexpected Beauty Statement This Summer
Chinese tea chain 茉莉奶白 (Jasmine Milk White) is turning four, and instead of a standard anniversary sale, they threw a "Black-Skin Party.
Food & BeverageHeinz Turned World Cup Red Cards Into Condiment Packets — and It's Brilliant
The World Cup is a magnet for ambush marketing, but most brands settle for a lazy logo slap and a football emoji.
Food & BeverageLawson's new coffee cup isn't reusable — it's edible
Convenience store chain Lawson is marking 30 years in China with a product that eliminates one small but persistent piece of waste: the coffee cup itself.
MarketingA Nanjing Mall Threw a Wedding for Two Cartoon Characters — and Thousands Showed Up
For its 10th anniversary, Nanjing's Jingfeng Center could have done the usual: a ribbon-cutting, some balloons, maybe a tiered cake.