When a Bubble Tea Brand Thinks Like a Music Studio
What happens when a global bubble tea chain stops selling drinks and starts selling a feeling?
That’s the question sitting at the heart of Gong cha’s new global brand push featuring Gong cha and Felix. Instead of the usual celebrity-fronted ad showing a smiling idol holding a cup, the brand leans into something more unusual: Felix as an artist in his element, building music in a studio, layered, intentional, and expressive.
The campaign, created by Jung von Matt HANGANG, is less about product push and more about identity building. And in today’s crowded beverage market, that shift says a lot about where global branding is headed.
A Competitive Win That Redefines the Brief
Jung von Matt HANGANG didn’t just land a campaign. It won Gong cha’s Y26 global brand mandate after a competitive pitch, giving it responsibility for shaping the brand across multiple markets.
The agency’s idea is simple but risky: stop treating K-pop talent as promotional props and instead position them as cultural mirrors for how consumers already live.
Felix, a member of Stray Kids, becomes the centre of that idea. Known for his global Gen Z following, he is framed not as an ambassador of a drink, but as a creative force whose process mirrors the way Gong cha builds its products.
From Endorsement to “Lifestyle Vibe”
Here’s the thing: beverage brands have been using celebrity endorsements for decades. What’s changing now is the role of the celebrity.
Instead of saying “drink this,” the campaign is trying to say “this is how you live.”
Felix is shown composing music, layering sounds, and refining detail. That process is visually and conceptually linked to Gong cha’s customization system, where customers adjust ice levels, sweetness, and toppings like pearls.
The logic is cultural rather than commercial:
- Music production = customization
- Personal taste = identity
- Bubble tea = everyday expression
This reframing positions Gong cha not just as a tea brand, but as a “lifestyle vibe,” specifically targeting Gen Z and young adult consumers aged roughly 18–34.
K-Culture as Global Infrastructure, Not Trend
The campaign also reflects something bigger happening in global consumer markets: K-culture is no longer a niche export. It has become a distribution system for attention.
As Bill Yom, Founder and CCO of Bill Yom, put it:
“K-culture is no longer niche, it’s shaping global mainstream behaviour.”
That shift matters. It means brands are no longer borrowing pop culture for relevance. They are building around it.
Gong cha operates thousands of stores across Asia, Europe, and the United States, and this campaign signals a push to unify that footprint under a single cultural language rather than fragmented regional marketing.
The Creative Strategy: Linking Music to Customization
The central creative idea is surprisingly tight.
Felix’s studio process is shown as layered, precise, and iterative. The same language is applied to Gong cha drinks, where customers build their own combinations through small, intentional choices.
The agency explains it directly:
“By showing Felix as a meticulous artist, we created a powerful parallel to Gong cha’s customisation DNA.”
That comparison does more than connect visuals. It reframes a routine purchase as a creative act.
Global Rollout and Execution
The campaign is rolling out across South Korea, the United States, Japan, and Australia, supported by:
- Digital advertising
- Out-of-home placements
- In-store visuals
- Short-form social content
Jung von Matt HANGANG also developed global governance guidelines so the campaign stays consistent across markets while still allowing local adaptation.
That detail is important. Many global campaigns fail not in concept, but in fragmentation at execution level.
Why This Matters: The New Rules of Brand Relevance
This campaign sits at the intersection of three big shifts:
1. Celebrity roles are changing
Fans no longer just want idols endorsing products. They want narratives that feel authentic to the celebrity’s identity.
2. Food and beverage brands are becoming cultural platforms
Gong cha isn’t just competing with other bubble tea chains anymore. It’s competing with lifestyle brands for emotional relevance.
3. Gen Z marketing demands process, not polish
Showing how something is made or expressed matters more than showing a finished product.
Jeeyoung Jina Chung, CMO Korea & APAC at Jeeyoung Jina Chung, captured this direction clearly:
“Our ambition is to define the tea category through cultural relevance.”
What this really means is Gong cha is trying to move from being a beverage choice to being part of daily identity expression.
Conclusion: When a Drink Becomes a Mirror
The real question this campaign raises isn’t whether it will sell more bubble tea.
It’s whether brands can successfully embed themselves into culture without flattening it into advertising.
By placing Felix inside a creative studio rather than a store counter, Gong cha is betting that consumers don’t just want products anymore. They want reflection, personality, and participation.
And if that bet works, the next wave of global branding might look less like marketing and more like art direction for everyday life.