How MINISO used Harry Potter pop-ups and cosplay to drive store visits on Xiaohongshu
From late September to October 2024, MINISO paired Harry Potter merchandise with immersive pop-ups in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Ten creators published ten mostly video posts built around cosplay, store visits and blind-box unboxing.
Turn merchandise shopping into a visit to Hogwarts
MINISO recast its pop-up stores as a Hogwarts-style shopping experience, using officially licensed Harry Potter merchandise as both the retail offer and the content prompt. Creators combined character roleplay, immersive store walkthroughs and blind-box unboxing, with products spanning figures, cups, cushions and pet supplies. Pop-up check-ins and store visits gave the campaign an offline anchor, while comment lotteries added participation. The hashtag "名创优品哈利波特" (MINISO Harry Potter) kept posts centred on the collaboration.
The campaign spoke primarily to young women who follow the Harry Potter IP, enjoy cosplay and collect merchandise, alongside students and urban white-collar women seeking affordable treats. Limited editions and an exclusive first release supplied urgency without discounts. At Hong Kong’s Langham Place pop-up, the collaboration ran from October 1 to 31, with design appeal and accessible pricing supporting the push towards in-store purchases.
- Objective
- IP Collab Hype
- Occasion
- Film / IP Window
- Funnel
- Awareness
- Messaging
- Value for Money · Design and Aesthetics
- Scenes
- Couple Scenario
- Formats
- Unboxing / Haul · Character Roleplay
- Activation
- Pop-up Store · Comment Lottery · Store Visit
- Trends
- Merch and IP Collab · Self-reward Spending
- Discount
- No Discount, Pure Brand Push
What set it apart
| Choice | Share of campaigns |
|---|---|
| Distinctive | |
| Character Roleplay | 2.8%1 in 36 |
| Comment Lottery | 12%1 in 8 |
| Store Visit | 17%1 in 6 |
| Value for Money | 19%1 in 5 |
| Pop-up Store | 19%1 in 5 |
| Typical | |
| Design and Aesthetics | 95%10 in 10 |
| Unboxing / Haul | 67%7 in 10 |
Share of the 144 Xiaohongshu Hobbies campaigns in the unrandom archive that made the same choice. Counted Nov 5, 2026.
Ten mid-tier creators, with female-led casting and fan-community verticals
25.5K–373K
10 creators with a public follower count
Mid-tier Matrix Only
Mid Dominant
Female Dominant
The first step to copy
- 1
Start with a limited pop-up that gives the IP a physical setting
Choose an IP with an established fan community, then build the collaboration around a time-limited store experience. Make the merchandise, roleplay and store visit parts of one idea so creators have a clear reason to send followers offline.
- 2+
More steps in the full teardown
casting, cosplay and unboxing formats, fan-community hashtags and limited-time urgency
The full teardown adds
- Reads and engagement for all 10 posts, ranked against similar creators
- Estimated spend and cost per read
- The breakout post, and why it led
- What 1,851 comments asked for most
- The rest of the playbook
- Casting risks and smart moves
More from the archive
| Campaign | Started | Creators |
|---|---|---|
| How DC China used 31 Xiaohongshu creators to preview a Batman anniversary pop-up in GuangzhouXiaohongshu · Hobbies | Sep 13, 2024 | 31 |
| How 福赏福赏 (Fushang Fushang, a prize-draw brand) linked multi-IP prize draws to pop-up visits on XiaohongshuXiaohongshu · Hobbies | Aug 30, 2024 | 17 |
| How TOPTOY built a DIY-led Xiaohongshu launch for 三丽鸥搪胶拿铁宝宝 (Sanrio vinyl Latte Baby dolls)Xiaohongshu · Hobbies | Aug 5, 2024 | 24 |
| How LEGO seeded building sets as Valentine's Day gifts on XiaohongshuXiaohongshu · Hobbies | Jan 25, 2024 | 13 |
A public campaign observed on Xiaohongshu. unrandom did not run it and is not affiliated with 名创优品. Analysis by unrandom from public posts, updated Nov 5, 2026. Your brand? Request a correction