Chagee told novel fans what they could post — and learned that fandoms do not take orders

In September 2023, Chagee (霸王茶姬), the fast-growing Yunnan tea chain, launched its first-ever IP collaboration: a limited-edition drink tie-in with 'The Lost Tomb' (盗墓笔记), one of China's most popular adventure novel franchises. The collab came with branded merchandise and a set of sharing rules telling fans what they could and could not post about the campaign online.

The rules were the problem. Among other restrictions, they forbade fan content involving certain character pairings — the exact content the fandom cared about most. The merchandise designs were mocked as ugly; 'Chagee's artwork is ugly' trended on Weibo. Fans accused the brand of 'not playing fair' — wanting the fandom's energy without respecting the fandom's culture. The gift-with-purchase mechanics added fuel.

Chagee's official Weibo pinned two posts: a thank-you message and an apology headed 'Sorry — we messed up this time!' Trade press framed the question as: are the fans difficult, or is the brand bad at this? The answer was the second one. A fandom is not an audience you advertise to; it is a community with its own norms, and a brand that enters it on the condition that fans stop being themselves will be rejected.

The brand apologized with 'Sorry — we messed up this time!' after learning that fandoms are communities with norms, not audiences to be controlled.

The sharing rules tried to control fan content in the exact area fans cared about most — character relationships — showing the brand saw the IP as an asset, not a community.

Merchandise quality did not meet the visual standards the fandom had set for itself over a decade of fan art.

As a first-time IP collaborator, Chagee lacked the institutional knowledge to navigate fandom norms.

The gift-with-purchase mechanics treated the collab as a transaction when fans expected a collaboration.

A fandom is not a target market; it is a culture with its own rules. If your collab requires fans to stop being fans, you have rented their attention, not bought their loyalty.