LISA x HEYTEA brings Thai mango sticky rice to global fans
LISA and HEYTEA launch a mango sticky rice drink with illustrated packaging and collectible merch, connecting Thai flavors with global fandom.
A mango sticky rice drink is a recognizable taste of Thailand. Put it in the hands of Thai-born BLACKPINK star LISA, and it becomes something her international audience can try, photograph and collect, without needing to travel to Bangkok.
That connection is behind HEYTEA's October 15 collaboration announcement with LISA. The tea chain has introduced Mango Coconut Sticky Rice at participating stores in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and international markets, pairing the drink with hand-drawn LISA illustrations and limited-edition accessories.
Table of contents
Jump to each section:
- Why LISA and HEYTEA make a natural pairing
- What's inside the mango sticky rice collaboration
- Why the collectible details matter
- What marketers can learn
Why LISA and HEYTEA make a natural pairing
This partnership did not begin with a newly commissioned brand shoot. HEYTEA says LISA had already shared its drinks while visiting cities including Los Angeles, London and Bangkok. Her 2025 Instagram posts featuring the company's matcha drinks attracted more than 6.7 million likes, a historical figure reported by the brand rather than a performance result for the new launch.
During BLACKPINK's 2025 London tour stop, LISA also posted about HEYTEA's Cloud Coconut Blue. In September 2026, she visited the brand's Bangkok HEYTEA lab at CentralWorld before it opened. Those earlier appearances establish a recognizable personal connection to the drink brand, which is different from a celebrity appearing in an unrelated commercial.
What's inside the mango sticky rice collaboration
The new Mango Coconut Sticky Rice turns the familiar Thai dessert into a mango-and-coconut slush with mango pieces and coconut sticky rice at the bottom. HEYTEA says staff prepare the rice daily, using long-grain sticky rice imported from Thailand.
The packaging carries original LISA illustrations in HEYTEA's hand-drawn style. From October 16, eligible bundles pair a drink and sticker with a choice of pin or keychain. The small accessories make the collaboration something customers can keep after finishing the drink.
HEYTEA first introduced the beverage in China in 2021 as a limited-time seasonal item. Bringing it into a collaboration with LISA gives an existing product a new context: her home country's dessert becomes an accessible product for fans across different cities.
Why the collectible details matter
A celebrity drink promotion gives fans one reason to visit a store. Illustration-led packaging and small merchandise add another reason: an object that carries the artist association beyond the purchase. That is the same logic behind many music merchandise drops, though HEYTEA has not disclosed how many new bundles it expects to sell.
HEYTEA has worked with creative names including Sandy Liang, Yayoi Kusama and POP MART. The latest collaboration fits its broader approach of putting tea alongside art, fashion and pop culture rather than positioning each product only by flavor.
What marketers can learn
The clearest lesson is that a celebrity partnership can be stronger when it builds on a documented affinity. LISA's earlier HEYTEA posts and Bangkok store visit give this campaign a history that consumers can recognize. The brand then translates that connection into a specific product and takeaway merchandise, instead of relying only on her image.
There is also a localization lesson here. Mango sticky rice is not a generic tropical flavor for this collaboration. It links the artist's Thai background with an existing drink and makes that association available outside Thailand. HEYTEA says it operates more than 120 international stores, though the company has not disclosed campaign sales or reach figures.
For fans, the visible outcome is simple: a familiar dessert in a cup, LISA's drawings on the packaging and collectible pieces they can carry home. Whether those ingredients translate into sustained demand is still an open question.
