In 2025, brands in China were remarkably creative in conjuring unconventional collaborations and crossovers to win the hearts and minds of consumers amid economic slowdown and intensified retail competition.
Such competition in such a large and fast-moving consumer market such as China, requires attention -grabbing moves, as illustrated by these moves that surprised and delighted many consumers.
While the ideas may at times sound crazy ideas, brands collaborations bring new audiences and opportunities to engage beyond sponsorships and live activations.
As Prophet Shanghai associate partner Tom Zhang notes, our first example demonstrates “how, in China’s increasingly crowded marketing landscape, cultural intelligence and brand authenticity often outweigh sponsorship budgets.”
From tomatoes to sports: Kraft Heinz x China’s National Games
This collaboration went viral on social media, as the brand cleverly bridged the worlds of sports and ketchup. This campaign garnered public attention despite Kraft Heinz not being an official sponsor of China’s National Games.
Zhang attribues this disruptive brand success to Heinz’s commitment to “grounding its strategies and creativity in consumer insights, which drives tangible and pragmatic impact.” In the campaign, tomato stems were creatively reimagined as miniature athletes across 34 different sports.
The slogan “Every tomato that strives to win is in Heinz” emphasises “the campaign's celebration of quality and dedication, values that resonate deeply within the sports narrative,” says Zhang.
Mascots in the spotlight: Duolingo x Luckin Coffee’s unexpected dramas
Duoling’s owl Duo went from death to resurrection. In July, Duo married Lucky the Deer from Luckin Coffee in China. Various Chinese brands, including Eleme, Alibaba’s food delivery app, and Watsons China, also joined the collaboration to post photos of their own mascots’ wedding with Duo. In the end, Luckin Coffee, the iconic brand for crazy collaborations from Moutai to Black Wukong, won Duo's affection and presented the love story and marriage through engaging short dramas, the most prominent marketing channels rising from China.
However, the couple's marriage came to an abrupt end due to a love crisis, leading to their divorce. When fans tuned in to watch a new short drama around their short-lived romance, they discovered that Duo and Lucky were promoting the upcoming reality show “See You Again” Season 5.
When soup meets sport: Nike x Cantonese Songyuan
In Guangzhou, during the National Games of China taking place across the Greater Bay Area, Nike made a surprising move by introducing its iconic swoosh logo in the form of a spoon for soup. This was part of a collaboration with Cantonese Songyuan to create a pop-up herbal soup house. Olympic sprinter Su Bingtian, known as China's fastest man and a native of Guangdong, also joined in the brand activation by sharing a story tied to the Cantonese proverb “No effort goes unrewarded.”
Such hyper-local collaboration captured the attention of Gen Z runners and marketing professionals alike. Nike has invited Runners who clock a three-kilometre run between November 15 and 23 to redeem a complimentary bowl at the pop-up, with supplies limited to 50 servings per day. The 50 Bowls of Soup brand activation drove a surge in online traffic for Nike in November.
Gaming & burgers: McDonald’s x Black Myth: Wukong
For many years, McDonald’s China did not present mid-autumn festival campaigns. But this year during Golden Week holidays, the Golden Arches teamed up with China’s most celebrated gaming IPs, Black Myth: Wukong, taking mid-autumn festival campaigns to the next level.
The collaboration featured a mix of limited-edition food, collectible merchandise, and immersive in-store experiences, which quickly went viral online as special products sold out both online and in-store across various cities. Leo, part of Publicis Groupe, also created a short animated video, Connected by the Moon, which brought together Black Myth: Wukong characters with scenes of family reunion, presenting the limited-edition burgers in a festive, heartwarming light. The animation ran across Weibo, WeChat, and Bilibili, weaving itself intimately into the world of the game’s fans and letting an unfinished reunion from the game finally find its poetic ending.
When burgers and EVs share a brand ambassador: McDonald’s x Mercedes‑Benz
McDonald’s once again surprised the marketing world in China by collaborating with Mercedes-Benz on an unexpected pairing: the White Truffle Angus burger and the all-electric CLA. While these two products have no natural connection, the collaboration generated huge buzz, because of a perfect match coming from the first Chinese character Mai(麦) from McDonald’s and the last Chinese character Chi(驰) from Mercedes‑Benz.
A key factor in the campaign's success was table tennis champion Wang Chuqin, who served as an ambassador for both brands. His dual endorsement became a narrative bridge that fueled viral discussions and drove sales of co-branded merchandise. Fans affectionately nicknamed the trio “三厨狂喜” (“Three Kitchens Rejoice”), a whimsical pun that ties together McDonald’s kitchen, Mercedes’ precision engineering workshop, and Wang’s athletic spirit. In the co‑branded film, Wang drives the CLA while enjoying a premium Angus burger, symbolically uniting everyday indulgence with aspirational mobility.
Offline, the brands extended the experience by installing Angus‑themed Mercedes-CLAs in six major cities, allowing visitors to sit in the car, try the burger, and create social‑friendly content, turning an unlikely pairing into annual cultural moments for both brands.
The most relaxed collab ever: Hoegaarden teams up with Capybara
In China, the chillest collab of the year is here: Hoegaarden × Capybara = Capybarapy. When everyone else is shouting with celebrity endorsements, Hoegaarden presented some real stress relief.
From subway escalators to 7‑Eleven installations, the capybara takeover is real in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, with the complete fuzzy treatment, running through November and December.
Hoegaarden has launched more than just a collaborative campaign; they've cultivated a cosy atmosphere that embraces softness, silliness, and relaxation. “Capybarapy” is a unique tactile initiative designed to bring a moment of Zen to China’s stressed-out youth by inviting them to stroke the posterior of a Capybara. With zero celebrity spend and tactile gaming, fans who share their #Capybarapy sessions on social media stand a chance to win exclusive fur-themed memorabilia.
Running shoes lying flat: ASICS x Monday Sleeping Club
Olivia Plotnick, founder of Wai Socials, wrapped up her transformative year of 2025 with a pair of shoes from an inspiring collaboration between ASICS and the local lifestyle brand Monday Sleeping Club from Shanghai.
According to Plotnick, Monday Sleeping Club “embraces the concept of the ‘lying flat’ (躺平) movement, which rejects China's fast-paced and relentless competitiveness.” The combination of ASICS running shoes with the Shanghai streetwear brand creates a striking contrast while establishing a meaningful connection.
Plotnick emphasises that “Monday Sleeping Club has such a strong IP, this time it feels like ASICS is the one tapping into the conversation — it blends ASICS’ retro, relaxed, effortless style with Monday Sleeping Club’s idea of a chill, anti‑hustle.” The collaboration, she believes, reflects a broader realignment in the Chinese market: “This collab is emblematic of a larger shift happening — where Chinese brands with strong IPs are the anchor and not the other way around,” as she wrote in a post.
Collaboration from pop‑up to permanence: Espace Gabrielle Chanel x Power Station of Art Shanghai
Collaborations and crossovers among brands often occur in China as pop-up events for short-term brand activations. However, Chanel’s collaboration with Shanghai’s Power Station of Art represents one of the most strategically resonant cultural partnerships in China. It is a union that elevates both brands while reshaping how contemporary culture is shared with the public. With the debut of Espace Gabrielle Chanel, the maison extends its legacy far beyond fashion, positioning itself as an active contributor to China’s creative infrastructure. The new 1,700‑square‑meter library, designed by Kazunari Sakamoto, embodies Chanel’s brand vision that culture is not merely to be observed but to be experienced.
As China’s first public library dedicated to contemporary art and the Chanel Culture Fund’s inaugural Asian project, Espace Gabrielle Chanel at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai will serve as a lasting example of how brand collaboration can go beyond typical sponsorships to foster a long-term cultural influence for the brands involved.
