How The Laughing Cow uses plushies to win hearts and boost brand relevance in SEA
The Laughing Cow’s plushie campaign blends retail, social, and experiential tactics to stay relevant with Gen Z and millennials
The Laughing Cow is proving that cheese can sell more than just snacks. It can sell culture, emotion, and community too.
Bel Group’s legacy brand is back with its Cheesy Mood Café plushies in Singapore and Malaysia after selling out the first wave within weeks. This time, the limited-edition toys come with a festive Chinese New Year twist, including blind box “Golden Tickets” that unlock SG$388 or RM888 in local vouchers.
This article explores how The Laughing Cow is weaving collectibles, physical experiences, and hyper-local campaigns to deepen its connection with Southeast Asia’s younger consumers and what marketers can learn from it.
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Here’s a table of contents for quick access:
- What’s happening with The Laughing Cow in SEA
- Why plushies are a marketing asset, not a gimmick
- How Bel Group blends digital, retail, and experience
- What marketers should learn from this
Patrecia Meliana
What's happening with The Laughing Cow in SEA
After a strong debut in November 2025, The Laughing Cow’s collectible plushie line is making a comeback in Southeast Asia. The campaign now includes lucky-draw elements via blind box “Golden Tickets” during Chinese New Year, offering high-value red packet prizes via CapitaLand and Touch ’n Go vouchers in Singapore and Malaysia respectively.
But this is more than a holiday stunt. The plushies are central to Bel Group’s regional strategy to deepen relevance across Southeast Asia, especially in culturally diverse and youth-driven markets like Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia.
In Indonesia, the brand has been especially active on social media, turning its red cow mascot into a content engine through comics, creator collaborations, and lifestyle content. Offline, Bel is also investing in pop-up activations, such as the Laughing Cow pizza truck that hit Malaysia in support of a product launch.
Patrecia Meliana
Why plushies are a marketing asset, not a gimmick
For Bel Group, the plushies are not just novelties. They're strategic.
“The blind box plushies were inspired by the idea of bringing The Laughing Cow’s joyful personality into everyday culture,” the company stated. And that culture is skewing young. Gen Z and millennials, especially in Asia, are increasingly drawn to surprise-and-delight tactics that feel personal, gamified, and community-driven.
Collectibles work because they tap into identity and emotion. Whether it’s McDonald’s “Prosperity Pals,” CHAGEE’s drink-themed plushies, or Starbucks' festive soft toys, brands are embedding themselves into lives beyond product consumption.
For The Laughing Cow, it’s a smart way to escape the cheese aisle and enter the lifestyle conversation.
How Bel Group blends digital, retail, and experience
What’s unique about this campaign is how tightly integrated it is across touchpoints. It’s not just a shelf display or a viral social moment. It’s both, supported by physical, digital, and experiential efforts.
- Retail: Plushies are distributed via select retail partners using a blind box model, generating urgency, collectibility, and foot traffic.
- Digital: The Instagram-first campaign highlights influencer tie-ins and the red cow mascot in comics and short-form videos, especially in Indonesia.
- Experiential: The brand is also investing in real-world activations. The pizza truck in Malaysia is one example of how it is creating live engagement around product drops.
This hybrid model allows Bel to remain nimble and adjust the campaign based on country-specific preferences and channels. Each execution supports the broader goal of cultural embedding and brand salience.
What marketers should learn from this
Whether you’re in CPG, tech, or services, there are key takeaways in The Laughing Cow’s campaign:
1. Collectibles build emotional stickiness
Soft toys don’t just generate one-off buzz. When tied to storytelling, they foster long-term emotional affinity, especially in youth markets.
2. Don’t just localize, embed in local culture
From Chinese New Year vouchers to country-specific retail partners, the campaign reflects strong regional fluency. Cultural nuance drives relevance.
3. Physical experiences still matter
Even in digital-first markets, nothing beats on-ground engagement. The pizza truck rollout in Malaysia shows how experiential tactics can humanize a brand launch.
4. Cross-functional collaboration is key
Bel Group worked with regional creative and production partners to keep the plushie design on-brand while appealing to local tastes. That kind of co-creation matters when scaling a global brand in diverse markets.
The Laughing Cow’s plushie push isn’t just cute. It’s calculated. It shows how legacy FMCG brands can stay relevant by weaving emotional experiences into everyday moments.
As 2026 kicks off, brands looking to build loyalty with younger audiences in Southeast Asia would do well to study Bel Group’s balanced use of surprise, cultural cues, and lifestyle marketing. Relevance is not earned by reach alone. It is built through resonance.
