China's Cosplay Culture Meets Physical Retail
Attention CMO's: Anime inspired shopping is flourishing in China - and it's driving retail experiences across Asia.
Genshin Impact is the second-highest mobile spending game in the world and now it’s taking over retail, too.
With over $2.5 billion in mobile spending internationally and 202 million downloads, players often take to the streets to cosplay as the game’s many beloved characters. They appesar in Chinese social media platforms such as Bilibli, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu. And now, brands are in on the game too - literally.
MiHoYo, the game publisher, has leveraged the organic fan traffic over the past two years by partnering with many brands like McDonalds, KFC, Luckin Coffee, Happy Lemon - capitalizing on the avatar cosplay culture, and anchoring it to popular retailers.
Online Influence Drives E-commerce
China’s cosplay culture, combined with a sophisticated digital e-commerce infrastructure is driving more diversified channels of brand loyalty and monetization, where the line between gaming avatars, digital influencers, and shopping experiences becomes increasingly blurred.
It’s Magic:
KFC x Genshin Impact Pop-Up Event in Chongqing, China
In July 2024, KFC held a Genshin Impact Live pop-up activation in Chongqing, China (pop: 32 million). The event featured Lynette,a Genshin Impact magician, who invited fans to watch and participate in live magic performances and buy Genshin Impact merch.
The pop-up activation took place outside KFC, where fans could see live Genshin Impact animations on giant 3D screens, giving fans a chance to see their favorite game characters.
The KFC x Genshin Impact pop-up activation in Chongqing illustrates the growing trend of immersive brand experiences that merge virtual gaming with real-life events.
This event leveraged a popular gaming franchise to draw physical crowds and demonstrated the importance of creating interactive, multi-sensory experiences that engage audiences both online and offline.
Genshin Impact X Luckin Coffee: Where Gen Z Gets Coffee
This December, Luckin Coffee is partnering with Genshin Impact to create Genshin Impact visual merchandising on all coffee/cafe related accessories and brand packaging.
In addition, Luckin Coffee is integrating the character lore of Genshin Impact characters Cloridne and Seigwinne as Luckin Coffee baristas - adding to the experience and fun of shopping at Luckin Coffee.
This signals how anime cosplaying shapes retail experiences - that gaming can be a part of our physical experiences with the right IP.
Genshin Impact + Family Mart Collaboration: Part of your Everyday Shopping
In Asia, it is very common to see anime-themed advertisements in front of physical storefronts, clothing, restaurants, hospitality, and even subway stations.
This December, Genshin Impact is collaborating with Family Mart to create co-branded coffee cups highlighting many of the characters inside Genshin Impact.
For each 2-6 cups players collect, players will be able to redeem in-game gift packages inside Genshin Impact. This brand loyalty program is a win-win for both the retailer - Family Mart - and the players of Genshin Impact.
Yae-miko + Douyin Collaboration: Where Mini-Games Meet Short Form Video
Imagine if you can expand on Genshin Impact avatar culture by creating a virtual avatar account on the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin.
Yes, Yaemiko has over 9 million followers and uses Douyin as an opportunity to promote Genshin Impact mini-games, as well as digital merchandising, apparel, stickers, and skins - all while sharing the Genshin Impact lore.
This shows how gaming avatars - if given the right platform, can help a brand or IP scale its character lore.
Takeaway: Cosplay Culture Grows New Markets for Retail, Merchandising, and Gaming
Games such as Genshin Impact show that cosplay culture has expanded beyond conventions, creating lucrative opportunities for retailers and merchandisers to develop specialized products to build brand loyalty.
Cosplay culture helps scale character lore and creates additional demand for high-quality merchandising, accessories, and live events. It taps into the organic UGC world while providing retailers/brands opportunities to help scale the culture to the masses.
Future Transmedia Experiences
These are the earliest signs of a true transmedia experience - as a potent cultural phenomenon, it’s fostering cross-industry collaborations, blending entertainment, fashion, and commerce.