CHAGEE turns friendship into a loyalty play with hand-holding plushies

CHAGEE is tapping into the growing appeal of collectible culture to deepen emotional connections with consumers, unveiling a new "Bes-tea brew crew" campaign ahead of International Friendship Day.

Running from 24 July, the campaign introduces six limited-edition plushies inspired by different friendship personalities, supported by retail activations, social media engagement and exclusive rewards for CHAGEE's loyalty members. It culminates in the brand's annual Bes-Tea Day on 30 July, which celebrates both friendships and the community of CHA members.

At the heart of the campaign are six "Brew crew" characters designed to reflect familiar roles within every friend group. These include Tea pot, "The organiser"; Tea cup, "The listener"; Tea bag, "The chill one"; BO•YA, "The mediators"; Peach oolong, "The fun one"; and Tea whisk, "The high energy one".

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This year's collection introduces hand-holding plushies, allowing each character to connect with another. Available in random blind boxes, the collectibles are designed to encourage consumers to collect, trade and gift them among friends.

According to CHAGEE, the campaign aims to position the plushies as more than collectibles by encouraging everyday acts of sharing and connection.

"We designed the 'Brew crew' to hold hands because that is what friendship really looks like — small, everyday ways of holding on to each other. The moments we cherish most are often the simplest: a five-minute catch-up, a shared drink, or a surprise gift," said Eileen Lau, head of marketing at CHAGEE Singapore.

"Bes-Tea Day is our way of saying thank you to everyone who has shared those moments with us," she added.

Beyond the collectibles, CHAGEE is using the campaign to drive engagement with its loyalty ecosystem.

Throughout the campaign period, CHA members can enjoy upgraded membership benefits, daily flash redemptions through the CHAGEE app at 11.17am, increased Wednesday discounts of 20% for selected membership tiers, and an app-exclusive Bes-Tea Day bundle available only on 30 July.

The campaign also extends into physical experiences, with a life-sized "Brew crew" installation at CHAGEE Suntec City and smaller displays at VivoCity and orchardgateway.

Consumers who pose with the installations in a "holding hands" pose, post the photos on social media and tag @chagee.sg using #CHAGEEBesTeaBrewCrew stand a chance to win a complete set of "Brew crew" plushies.

In addition, CHAGEE has partnered with Singapore self-photo studio Solace Studios from 24 July to 13 August to offer themed photo prints at participating outlets, alongside a joint social media giveaway featuring campaign merchandise.

Beyond Singapore, CHAGEE is rolling out localised "Bes-tea Day" experiences across Southeast Asia, tailoring the campaign to each market while keeping friendship at its core.

In Malaysia, selected outlets are hosting interactive game stations featuring "Bes-tea toss", "Bes-tea match" and "Bes-tea pick". Customers who complete all three games and collect stamps on a friendship card can redeem exclusive rewards, with activations taking place across Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is introducing two exclusive experiences. "Catch your brew crew" lets customers win limited-edition collectibles through claw machine activations, while "Bes-tea box" offers themed photo booth experiences where friends can capture and take home commemorative prints inspired by the campaign.

In the Philippines, CHAGEE is turning its stores into community spaces through a series of friendship-themed events, including karaoke nights, trivia sessions, board game afternoons, creative workshops and collectors' meet-ups. The programme is designed to encourage customers to bond over shared interests while introducing new consumers to the brand.

In Thailand, all six "Brew crew" characters will be showcased together in dedicated in-store displays, with the plushies arranged hand-in-hand to reinforce the campaign's friendship theme. Customers will also be encouraged to collect the full set through in-store messaging and a QR code linking to a personality quiz.

The campaign builds on CHAGEE's wider "Bes-tea" platform, which was first rolled out across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in July last year. The initial launch introduced limited-edition plushies modelled after the brand's bestselling drinks, including its peach oolong milk tea and BO·YA jasmine green milk tea, as part of a regional campaign designed to tap into the popularity of collectibles while strengthening emotional connections with consumers.

Across Southeast Asia, the campaign has also featured market-specific activations, including giant plushie installations, social media hunts and a mobile experiential truck in Malaysia, as CHAGEE localises the Bes-Tea experience for audiences in each market.

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