The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2025
Sexy Tea's collab notebook copies bloggers, gets delisted and apologised
Sexy Tea's collab notebook with a choir turned out to lift other bloggers' illustrations, so the product was delisted and the chain apologised 'ashamed'.
Sexy Tea · Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers · 2025-08-24
What happened
On 22 August 2025, milk tea chain 茶颜悦色 launched a multi-function collab notebook with the Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers, priced at 25.9 yuan. Within a day, bloggers including 废画三千, 麦麦子, 有没有梦游 and MOODA pointed out that the notebook's illustrations appeared to be copied from their own work.
On 24 August the chain apologised publicly, admitting there had been 'some unauthorised use of others' creations', saying it felt 'ashamed' and blaming a review failure that let the product through. The notebook was removed from the mini-program and an investigation was announced.
Coverage by 中华网 and 南方都市报 noted the chain said it had reached agreements with three of the affected bloggers and was still working with the others. The incident was read as a cultural brand caught borrowing the culture it sells, and the apology did more to confirm the copy than to repair it.
Why it happened
- 茶颜悦色 launched a collab notebook with 上海彩虹室内合唱团 on 22 August at 25.9 yuan, and within a day bloggers including 废画三千 accused its illustrations of being lifted from their work.
- On 24 August the chain apologised, admitting 'some unauthorised use of others' creations' and saying it felt 'ashamed', blaming a review failure.
- The notebook was taken off the mini-program and the chain said it had reached agreements with three of the affected bloggers while still working with the rest.
The lesson
A fan-loved brand that sells culture cannot cut a collab notebook from other creators' work and expect the fans who buy that culture not to notice: the review failed before the product shipped.
Aftermath
Sexy Tea's apology on 24 August 2025 admitted the notebook had lifted other creators' illustrations, said it was ashamed, and blamed a review failure. The product was delisted from its mini-program, an investigation was announced, and the chain said agreements had been reached with three of the affected bloggers while the remaining ones were still being settled. Chinese media including 中华网 and 南方都市报 covered the apology, and the episode undercut the brand's image as a culturally thoughtful tea chain that its fans support partly for the aesthetic.
Sources
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