The Strategy of Small Surprises
From blind boxes to plushies, collectibles offer F&B and hospitality brands playful ways to catch attention and build loyalty
Fast food taught us long ago that a meal feels just a little more magical when it comes with a toy—and that sentiment isn’t just for kids. McDonald’s proved the point when its 2022 Adult Happy Meal sold out nationwide in under two weeks, pulling in $80 million in sales. That frenzy wasn’t about burgers or fries—it was about surprise and nostalgia. And in the years since, brands across food, beverage, and hospitality have started chasing the same spark.
The Labubu Effect: Collectibles as the New Social Currency
To understand why this trend is taking off, you need to look at Labubu, a “creepy-cute” blind-box collectible plush/figurine series that’s taken the world by storm—and can be seen dangling from bags, perched on water bottles, and cropping up in photos with influencers and celebrities. The magic lies in mystery, scarcity, and the bragging rights of “which one did you get?”
Surprise isn’t just fun—it’s sticky. It drives urgency, fuels share-ability, and creates loyalty far beyond the core product.
Blind Boxes & Brand Collabs
From fast casual to bubble tea, brands are putting their own spin on the surprise-inside trend:
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Cava - In August 2025, Cava introduced a limited time Hot Harissa Meal that includes a Harissa Avocado Bowl and Hot Harissa Pita Chips, which contain one of four different blind-bagged pita chip plushies in playful characters including Peter Chip™, Sweet Sammy, Jimmy Harissa, and Garlic Gus.
KFC Australia ran a digital-only “FLG Mystery Box” promotion in early 2025, allowing customers to add a free mystery prize to any order over $1 through the KFC app for a chance to win various prizes including free food, merchandise, and “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences like being featured in a KFC TV commercial, having a burger named after them on the KFC Secret Menu, or a trip through Tasmania.
Gong cha x Peanuts - In fall 2025, global premium bubble tea brand Gong cha launched a collab in honor of Peanuts’ 75th anniversary—limited-time “Surprise Cups,” where each blind-box style cup came with one of four collectible keychains featuring a beloved Peanuts character.
Beyond the Usual Suspects
While toys tucked into cereal boxes or fast-casual meals have long been part of the playbook, we’re starting to see playful surprises creep into less traditional categories.
The buzzy Gen Z wine brand Whiny Baby, recently acquired by Gallo, tucks friendship-bracelet style beads around its bottles when customers order it DTC. The small, whimsical “gift” inside the box is a little touch that makes the brand memorable, and creates personal connection. The beads have become their most frequent customer request, prompting some retailers to begin carrying the beaded version. (Check out more secrets behind the brand’s explosive growth in our recent interview with Whiny Baby founder, Jess Druey)
Le Creuset jumped into the blind-box game during its 2025 “Factory to Table” shopping events, where customers could pay $50 for a “mystery box” promising a minimum of $300 worth of cookware (after purchasing a $35 VIP ticket, and spending $150). At stops in San Jose and Hartford, lines formed around the block for the chance to score a high-value surprise. (though later some boxes sparked backlash when fans felt short-changed.) Still, the promo shows how even a legacy kitchenware brand is borrowing from Labubu-style hype culture to fuel excitement and urgency.
Capsule Culture Crosses Over
In Japan, capsule machines, or “gashapon,” have been cultural fixtures for nearly 60 years—lining train stations, shopping malls, and even multi-floor arcades devoted entirely to tiny collectibles in sealed blind-box-style capsules.
We’re now beginning to see gashapon-style concepts pop-up in the U.S.—packed with claw machines holding sought-after collectibles like Labubus, Sonny Angels and Smiskis.
ParTea (New York City & Los Angeles) is a growing “clawcade” brand with two locations in New York and two in Los Angeles that feature rows of neon-light backed claw games. Customers can enjoy Asian street food snacks and bubble teas as they play to win plushies or charms.
Claw It (Chicago) - In Chicago, Claw It and Claw City are two new spots that house dozens of claw machines dispensing plushies, blind-boxes, and capsules.
Insight-OUT: Adults crave the same thrill of discovery as kids, and surprise is the new currency. Playful collaborations, limited-edition drops, tiny unexpected gifts, and small surprise-and-delight moments are a way for brands to spark buzz and create connections.