Ningbo Yintai Department Store Launches Hit Food IP Plushies, Sparking a "Ningbo Flavor" Trend

Ningbo Yintai Department Store Launches Hit Food IP Plushies, Sparking a "Ningbo Flavor" TrendRecently, a plush toy called "Ning Gao Gao," depicting a piece of pork-lard-fried rice cake, has rapidly gained popularity among young people in Ningbo, sparking heated discussions. However, this isn't just an ordinary rice cake; it's a food IP plush creatively designed by Ningbo Yintai Department Store

Ningbo Yintai Department Store Launches Hit Food IP Plushies, Sparking a "Ningbo Flavor" Trend

Recently, a plush toy called "Ning Gao Gao," depicting a piece of pork-lard-fried rice cake, has rapidly gained popularity among young people in Ningbo, sparking heated discussions. However, this isn't just an ordinary rice cake; it's a food IP plush creatively designed by Ningbo Yintai Department Store. Based on a classic local snack, it cleverly blends hometown characteristics with trendy cuteness, successfully capturing the hearts of many citizens. Instead of appearing at street food stalls, it made a stunning debut at Yintai's pop-up store, leading to crowds lining up to receive them.

"Rice cake and sausage?" "Both, please." "Okay." "Here's your Ning Gao Gao." This simple dialogue vividly showcases the unique charm of "Ning Gao Gao." It's more than just a plush toy; it's a ritualistic "food-making" experience. Staff meticulously prepare each "Ning Gao Gao" for customers: boiling the rice cake, pan-frying it in pork lard until slightly browned, and finally adding eggs, sausage, and lettuceresembling a miniature "playing house" game. This has amused customers, leading them to share photos on social media, praising "Ningbo now has its own 'playing house'!"

Ningbo Yintai Department Store Launches Hit Food IP Plushies, Sparking a "Ningbo Flavor" Trend

Beyond "Ning Gao Gao," the "Ningbo Flavor" food IP plush series includes the "Yuan Bao" family (based on Ningbo tangyuan, sweet rice balls), and "Crab Boss" (based on Ningbo hairy crabs). These plushies draw inspiration from familiar Ningbo delicacies, representing not just culinary delights but also unique symbols carrying local culture and collective memories. Their success lies not only in their adorable appearance but also in their clever combination of Ningbo's local cultural elements with trendy plush toy designs.

Chen Yuankai, the project manager of Ningbo Yintai Department Store's city IP food plush project, explained that Ningbo's tourism industry has seen rapid development in recent years, and local snacks have accumulated significant traffic on major social media platforms. Yintai's launch of this series of creative plushies aims to provide unique consumer experiences and deepen young people's and tourists' understanding and appreciation of Ningbo's culinary culture. This innovative fusion of traditional culture and modern trends is undoubtedly successful, attracting not only young people but also evoking deep affection for hometown flavors among older Ningbo residents.

Ningbo Yintai Department Store Launches Hit Food IP Plushies, Sparking a "Ningbo Flavor" Trend

For local Ningbo residents, these snacks are an integral part of their childhood memories, familiar companions throughout their upbringing. Therefore, when designing these food IP plushies, Yintai considered the characteristics of each food to assign distinct personalities. For example, "Ning Gao Gao," with its ability to accommodate various toppings like fried eggs, lettuce, and fried breadsticks, is given a carefree and cheerful personality. Meanwhile, members of the "Yuan Bao" family display different personalities based on their fillingsfor instance, Xiao Bai, the sesame-filled tangyuan, is portrayed as clumsy, and Xiao Ju, the osmanthus-flavored one, as soft and cute. This personification makes the plushies more approachable and endearing.

It's noteworthy that the names weren't pre-determined but selected through an online naming contest where customers submitted and voted on their suggestions. The birth of names like "Ning Gao Gao" and "Yuan Bao" reflects the interaction and participation of customers, further strengthening the sense of ownership and identity. This deep consumer involvement not only enhances participation but also boosts market vitality and competitiveness.

Ningbo Yintai Department Store Launches Hit Food IP Plushies, Sparking a "Ningbo Flavor" Trend

"They're quite exquisite and cute, and they incorporate Ningbo's cultural elements; I think they're great," said Ms. Zhang after receiving her plush. She even plans to buy more to send to friends in other places, allowing them to experience Ningbo's unique culinary culture. This demonstrates that Yintai's food IP plushies have not only gained immense popularity in Ningbo but also have the potential to radiate outward and spread Ningbo's local culture.

Currently, these food IP plushies have been released in a pop-up format at multiple shopping malls in Ningbo, including Tianyi Yintai, Ningbo Global Yintai, and Ningbo Yinzhou Yintai, distributing over 2000 plushies to date. This number reflects the high popularity of the event and Yintai's success in creative product development and marketing. More importantly, it successfully fuses traditional culture with modern trends, injecting new vitality into Ningbo's urban culture.

With the upcoming Spring Festival, Yintai plans to launch more events to share the festive atmosphere with Ningbo citizens. These adorable and "delicious" Ningbo snacks will accompany residents throughout a Spring Festival filled with unique Ningbo flavors. This is not just a commercial event but also a feast of cultural dissemination and emotional connection.

Furthermore, the project manager revealed that on January 18th, a new plush based on roasted taro will be exclusively launched at Ningbo Dongmen Yintai, with a concurrent online naming contest. This indicates Yintai's commitment to cultivating Ningbo's local culture, launching more regionally distinctive creative products, and bringing consumers more surprises and experiences. This continued innovation and investment foreshadows a broader future for the "Ningbo Flavor" IP plush series.

The popularity of "Ning Gao Gao" demonstrates Yintai's skillful combination of commercial operations and cultural dissemination, creating a successful business case through unique creativity and meticulous execution. It not only successfully promotes Ningbo's local snacks to a wider market but also provides valuable experience and reference for other cities in developing creative products. This fusion of traditional cultural resources with modern business models is undoubtedly commendable and worthy of study. It also provides new ideas and directions for the development of urban creative products, proving the tremendous potential of cultural elements in commercial operations. In the future, we look forward to seeing more similar successful cases, integrating local culture into everyday life, allowing more people to experience the unique charm of regional culture. The success of the "Ningbo Flavor" IP plush series is not just a commercial story but a microcosm of the flourishing development of Ningbo's urban culture.


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