Luckin Coffee×Moutai｜This Collaboration Needs No Design

The collaboration between Luckin Coffee, a top brand in the Chinese coffee market adored by the younger generation, and Moutai, representing Chinese white spirits, has attracted significant attention and curiosity from the very beginning. To us, working behind the jointly created “Moutai-Flavored Latte,” this was an immensely exciting and challenging task.

The union of Luckin Coffee and Moutai is a major sensation in itself. We proposed the theme “This Collaboration Needs No Design,” in which design plays a role in blending the cultures of these two brands, old and new, and facilitating their communication. We aimed to create the most comprehensive visual representation possible, maximizing the immediate impact of this collaboration.

On September 4, 2023, the Luckin Coffee and Moutai joint “Moutai-Flavored Latte” reached its pinnacle upon release. It dominated social media platforms, topped trending lists, and experienced frequent stock shortages in stores. Topics like “the first Moutai for the young generation” and “the first coffee for the middle-aged” generated extensive discussions on major internet platforms, with exposure reaching hundreds of millions. On the day of its release, sales of the “Moutai-Flavored Latte” exceeded 5.42 million cups, surpassing one hundred million RMB in revenue(over 14 million USD).

Simultaneously, various internet platforms ignited spontaneous creativity from the general public. People used cup sleeves, tote bags, stickers, and other materials to create a wide array of imaginative works,  making the “Moutai-Flavored Latte” the phenomenon of the year in China.