CHAGEE's new Bes-tea plushies are here to spill the cute in MY, SG, TH

Tea beverage chain CHAGEE is stirring up joy across Southeast Asia with the launch of its limited-edition "Bes-tea" plushie collection, now available in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand starting 18 July.

Blending emotional connection with local culture, the launch taps into the plushie trend with a campaign that’s both regionally consistent and locally customised.

First introduced in China in late 2024, the plushies are now part of CHAGEE’s first-phase Southeast Asia launch, with each plushie modelled after one of its bestselling drinks such as its peach polong milk tea and BO·YA jasmine green milk tea.

Available in blind boxes, each plushie comes with its own backstory, character traits, and “identity card,” encouraging customers to collect them all.

Don't miss: CHAGEE SG tumbles into Wonderland with whimsical earl grey tea pop-up

Janice Chen, head of go-to-market at CHAGEE APAC told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the campaign aligns with the brand’s wider localisation strategy while building on “strong demand for plushies and CHAGEE’s established presence in these markets.”

“We’re always listening to our fans across the region, so do stay tuned to our social channels for updates on future releases in other countries,” said Chen.

Fluffy, familiar and localised

To build anticipation, CHAGEE released teaser videos featuring plushified versions of national landmarks — from Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands to Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers — appearing alongside the plushies. Chen explained that this detail ties back to CHAGEE’s brand DNA:

Celebrating local culture has always been central to CHAGEE’s identity.

"With the teaser video, we’re blending familiarity with a touch of imagination to create playful moments that resonate on an emotional level," she said. 

The plushies also launch just ahead of International Friendship Day on 30 July, with CHAGEE positioning them as more than collectibles, but “companions” designed to spark joy and connection. “Each Bes-tea plushie represents a loyal companion, a bestie that you can take with you everywhere and share daily moments with,” said Chen.

In Malaysia, CHAGEE kicked off a mobile activation dubbed “Plushies on-the-go”, a truck fully decked out with oversized plushies and a mini claw machine experience. The activation has been making its way across university campuses, offering free drinks, photo challenges, and exclusive merchandise.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Students really embraced the experience. From photo pose challenges to snapping pics with our oversized plushies,” said Chen.

In Singapore, CHAGEE will run Bes-tea pop-ups at VivoCity and orchardgateway mall from 18 to 31 July, featuring giant plushie installations and a “Spot the Bes-tea” in-store hunt. Participants can win full plushie sets or drink vouchers by engaging with the display and social media challenges.

Meanwhile, Thailand will see a giant plushie installation at Park Silom and Vanit Village, along with a weekly “Hunt the Bes-tea” mascot activation, where fans can follow social clues and share creative content for a chance to win prizes. The mascot’s location will be teased via Instagram stories each week.

Chen noted that each market’s approach was “tailored to what resonates best with local audiences,” with Malaysia chosen for the mobile truck experience due to the strong campus community culture and demand for on-ground engagement.

The plushies are available in Singapore with the purchase of a large peach oolong milk tea or earl grey milk tea, while stocks last. In Malaysia, customers can purchase two drink bundles with plushies at all outlets. Over in Thailand, the plushies are priced at 194 THB from 18 July with selected drink purchases, and 269 THB standalone from 25 July onwards. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE also understands that CHAGEE is exploring more “Bes-tea” experiences across the region and encourages fans to follow their local accounts for updates on merchandise drops and contest details.

Late last month, CHAGEE Singapore and Malaysia held pop-up events for the launch of its earl grey tea series, created in collaboration with the British Library. Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the new series pairs premium tea blends with a fantastical aesthetic complete with exclusive Alice-themed packaging and in-store experiences.

In Singapore, the brand invited tea lovers to tumble into a Wonderland-themed pop-up at VivoCity, where visitors and fans got first sips of the new earl grey milk tea, and experienced puzzle-solving activities, scent-guessing games and got a peek at limited-edition Wonderland-themed merchandise including a Wander tag and a blind box charm keychain.

Meanwhile for Malaysia, CHAGEE also hosted a wonderland-themed pop-up at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The on-ground activation features a huge installation of CHAGEE's iconic black lid cup clad in new Alice-themed artwork, alongside fantastical garden and tea party decorations right at the centre of the shopping mall. The pop-up staff were also seen dressed up with bunny ears and top hats, a nod to the literary classic.

Related article:
CHAGEE turns Pavilion KL into Alice's wonderland in British Library collab
CHAGEE brews up hype ahead of Philippine launch with pop-up experience
CHAGEE opens first signing store in SEA, operated by deaf team