Nostalgia culture is on the rise, and we are seeing it all over branded merchandise. Companies are collaborating with popular old cartoon characters, dipping into the blind box craze, and hopping on the trend of collectable figures and toys.
A recent collaboration that caught my attention is the Miffy x Starbucks line. Miffy is a cartoon storybook character from 1955 created by Dick Bruna. The classic white bunny character has been showing up on all kinds of merchandise lately, but this isn’t random.
A certain kind of nostalgia is trending online right now, what some are calling “kidult.” Gen Z, especially, is fixated on the cute, nostalgic aesthetic of collectable items, toys, and stuffed animals, while also upholding a modern, minimalist vibe. This is evident in the “blind box” craze that blew up with the Labubu last year. The sense of childlike wonder when opening a collectable item from a blind box has taken the world by storm. With the rise in popularity of the blind box technique, which originated in Japan, came the resurgence of the “kawaii” aesthetic. Kawaii, meaning “cute” in Japanese, is a big part of popular culture and has a heavy influence on trends amongst Gen Z and Millennials (per the Tumblr days). Miffy, while originating in the Netherlands, is widely considered to be a part of the kawaii culture, alongside Hello Kitty and the Sanrio universe.
The new Starbucks line appeals to the trending nostalgia perfectly. The line features the iconic Miffy cartoon, a pastel color palette, and minimalistic designs that cater to all ages. Most notably, to me, was a tumbler with a Miffy figurine attached to the straw, an adorable collectable that adds flair to the design. There is also a Miffy stuffed animal wearing a Starbucks uniform: a cute, childish keepsake for Miffy and coffee fanatics alike.
This collaboration is very clever for the current state of internet culture. These classic characters often have a cult following online before they enter the trend cycle. New gen fans of Miffy get to build a collection of her merch, and older generation fans get to add to theirs. Starbucks is not alone in this phenomenon; Miffy is appearing on items from beauty products with The Creme Shop, travel accessories with Baggu, to tech items with Retrospekt. Some see it as a trend, I see it as iconography. Brands are now tapping into nostalgia culture and curating merchandise to niche audiences, this is attracting both business and online buzz. The people want to feel like “kidults”, and with their black coffee in their Miffy tumbler on their way to work, they get a chance to do so.