Rejuvenating Time-Honored Brands: From Tongrentang Coffee to Moutai Collaborations, How Century-Old Brands Break Out of Their Shell
As Tongrentang opens herbal coffee shops and Moutai partners with Luckin, century-old brands are winning over young consumers with a sense of contrast. This article breaks down three real paths to rejuvenation for time-honored brands.
The greatest asset of time-honored brands is 'trust,' but their biggest weakness is 'distance.' As Generation Z becomes the main consumer force, century-old brands that rest on their laurels risk being gradually forgotten. Rejuvenation isn't about making the logo trendier—it's about rebuilding a relationship with young people.
1. Product Crossover: Creating Buzz with 'Contrast'
Tongrentang's 'Zhi Ma Health' infuses herbal ingredients into coffee, while Moutai's collaboration with Luckin on 'Sauce Aroma Latte' sparked a nationwide check-in frenzy. The trust endorsement of time-honored brands combined with the contrast of unfamiliar scenarios naturally generates virality—people are willing to pay for the 'unexpected' and share it voluntarily.
2. Visual Refresh: Guochao Isn't Just Slapping on Chinese-Style Labels
Warrior (Huili) and Bee & Flower (Feng Hua) have returned to the spotlight through redesign and social media operations. Effective rejuvenation turns 'old craftsmanship' into 'new stories,' making the product itself a photogenic, shareable medium—not just piling on red-and-gold color schemes.
3. Going Downstream to Livestream Rooms
Time-honored brands are flocking to Douyin and Xiaohongshu, using short videos to tell their founding stories. Content is the shelf, and stories drive conversion—a short video explaining 'why this brand has survived a century' outperforms ten promotional posters.
“Rejuvenation isn't about 'becoming young'—it's about helping young people find a connection with century-old brands.”
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All content here is original analysis and roundup; data follows official sources such as the MOFCOM time-honored brand list. Please attribute when citing.