Moutai Drops Boozy Collab with Dove Chocolate

Liquor giant Kweichow Moutai is on a roll when it comes to unexpected collabs – and their newest partner is Mars’s Dove chocolates.

This partnership comes on the heels of a similar experiment with domestic brand Luckin Coffee to introduce an alcohol-infused latte, which also triggered plenty of buzz. The collaborations are part of Kweichow Moutai’s larger plan to attract younger consumers – currently, over 80% of its revenue comes from Moutai baijiu liquor, a favorite at high-society events and among middle-aged consumers.

“As a traditional Chinese brand, Moutai needs to be forever young, and embrace the young generation to enhance vitality,” chairman Ding Xiongjun said.

The new chocolates, which offer the distinct, divisive taste of Moutai, sold out within one minute after launch.

Now they seem only to be growing in value, with 12 chocolates being sold for as much as 500 RMB (around $70) on resale platforms. Unauthorized online stores on e-commerce platforms like JD.com raised the price by as much as 64% due to high demand, while some merchants on the Pinduoduo app managed to flip them for a whopping 151% increase in price.

“This demonstrates Moutai's desire to broaden their appeal more to younger consumers,” said Jason Yu, greater China managing director of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel. “They fear their current base is too concentrated on older consumers and that makes them worry about the future of the brand.”

Cover image via Wikimedia Commons