Another local tea brand goes viral, this time with wooden fish percussion

How Jo's Cha Won Over Gen Z with a Wooden Fish Gift

During this year’s 520 Festival (a popular online Valentine’s Day in China), a Guangdong-born tea brand called Jo's Cha caught everyone’s attention with a fun and quirky promotion: buy tea, get a free wooden fish.

According to social media posts, customers who bought Jo's Cha’s signature drink could add a small peach-blossom wooden fish for just ¥3.8. The product description said: “Tap it every day—make a wish, gain good karma.” Many young consumers loved the idea and were happy to pay a little extra.

Unsurprisingly, the wooden fish quickly became a hit on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). On the first day of the promo, posts about Jo's Cha were just as popular as those about bigger tea brands.

Comments included:

• “Jo's Cha knows how to have fun with merch!”
• “Jo's Cha really gets what young people want! Tapping the wooden fish every day makes me feel so peaceful.”

In today’s competitive tea market, big brands dominate. To attract young customers, newer brands often use limited-time collabs and creative marketing.

But as customers become more selective, it’s getting harder to stand out.

Jo's Cha’s 520 campaign worked because it connected with the lifestyles and values of young people. This emotional connection helped the brand break through and drive sales.

From product development to naming, packaging, and marketing, Jo's Cha shows a deep understanding of youth culture.

Let’s break down their strategy:

1. Product Development: Fun, Fresh & Healthy Drinks

To keep customers interested, tea brands need both great marketing and great products. Unique flavors and healthy options help create a lasting appeal.

Data shows that 60% of tea brands don’t last more than 3 years. One reason is that many drinks taste the same. Young customers want new experiences.

Jo's Cha stands out with its fruit and vegetable teas. Its Bitter Melon Lemon Tea became a hit, selling over 4 million cups a year and starting a new trend.

Another popular drink is the Tomato Guava Tea. Made with fresh tomatoes and red guava, it’s visually appealing and tastes light and refreshing.

After the pandemic, more young people are choosing healthy, low-sugar options. Jo's Cha uses vegetables and fruits to create unique flavors that are both tasty and good for you. This keeps customers coming back.

Other brands are also focusing on health. For example, Auntea Jenny promotes slow-cooked, preservative-free teas with no artificial flavors. This health-first approach is very popular.

Low-sugar, light, and natural teas are the future.

2. Packaging & Naming: Speak the Language of Youth

Today’s young people often feel stress from fast-paced lifestyles. “Lying flat” (a trend of rejecting overwork) and Buddhist-style calming (seeking peace) are popular mindsets.

Young consumers use shopping to relieve stress and find joy. They don’t just buy products—they buy feelings.

To reach them, tea brands need to understand this mindset and use language and designs that resonate.

Jo's Cha does this well. Their drink names use internet slang and relatable phrases like “Overtime LOL” or “Struggle Life.” This makes customers smile and feel understood.

When young people feel a brand “gets them,” they become loyal fans and share it online—giving the brand free promotion.

3. Creative Merchandise Boosts Hype & Sales

In a world of ads, brands must create “wow moments.” Limited merchandise is a classic way to do this.

Successful merch can make a brand memorable and even become collectible.

A great example is McDonald’s. Their Happy Meal toys and special collabs are hugely popular—sometimes even resold online.

Jo's Cha’s wooden fish promo worked because it tapped into the “digital wooden fish” trend popular among Gen Z. Turning a digital meme into a real gift made it shareable and fun.

The key takeaway: good merch is fun, relatable, and tied to youth culture. It keeps the brand in customers’ minds long after the campaign ends.

Conclusion

The tea market is crowded. Online hype alone isn’t enough.

A strong brand needs:

• Great products
• Smart marketing
• Cultural understanding

Jo's Cha shows how combining these can win young consumers' hearts and wallets.