Man jokes about getting life-sized standee outside Chagee outlet at Northpoint City, then gets one

A local content creator's joke about getting Chinese milk tea chain Chagee to open an outlet at Northpoint City has ended with him getting a life-sized standee of himself outside the store.

Muhammad Rifqi Solihin Muhammad Hairi, 25, first joked about the outlet after craving Chagee while he was in Kuala Lumpur for work.

The travel content creator, known for his China-related content, told AsiaOne that his first experience with Chagee's BOYA Jasmine Green Milk Tea left a lasting impression on him.

However, his original craving was for another drink — the brand's Rose Pu'er Milk Tea, which was his go-to order before it was discontinued.

"That was the drink that inspired my first video because I was craving it while I was in Kuala Lumpur," he said, adding that he has since switched to BOYA Jasmine Green Milk Tea for its light and refreshing taste.

The travel content creator said he started making Chagee-related videos in April, as a break from producing more structured and polished content.

He has since posted about 16 to 17 Chagee-related videos, of which only two were paid collaborations. His first paid collaboration came about a month after his initial joke video.

One recurring joke was his request for Chagee to open an outlet at Northpoint City so that he could enjoy his favourite drinks closer to home.

As someone who frequents the mall, Rifqi told AsiaOne that he noticed it had several popular food and beverage outlets, but no Chagee. He thought it would be nice to have a branch nearby instead of having to travel to town.

His interactions with Chagee began with playful exchanges in the comments section.

"It almost felt like I was joking around with a friend rather than a brand," he said, adding that this made the experience more enjoyable and encouraged him to keep creating the videos.

On Aug 20, Rifqi noticed that the hoarding outside a previous outlet at Northpoint City had been removed. He jokingly speculated on his Instagram Story that Chagee might be opening there, prompting the brand to respond with an eyes emoji.

Chagee later gave him a heads-up about the installation of its hoarding, prompting him to visit the mall to film another video. He said seeing others get excited about the opening alongside him felt surreal.

@asiaone While most people just order their favourite fresh milk tea, this creator managed to secure a permanent spot next to the menu! #sgnews #Singapore #Chagee ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

From a joke to a life-sized standee

As the opening approached, Rifqi made another joke, asking whether Chagee could place a life-sized standee of him at its Yishun outlet.

The idea, he said, was his own, and it began as another joke.

He formally proposed it on Sept 8, and while the brand expressed interest two days later, approval came only on Sept 24 after he raised it again while in Shanghai.

He completed a photoshoot in Qingdao on Sept 28, and the standee was printed the following day and displayed at Northpoint City on Sept 30.

"It was such an unexpected full-circle moment. We managed to complete the photoshoot and prepare the pictures within about an hour," he said.

The Chagee outlet at Northpoint City opened in late September.

The standee was initially meant to be displayed from Sept 30 until Oct 6.

Rifqi told AsiaOne that he asked Chagee whether the display could be extended after friends and followers expressed interest in visiting to take photos with the standee. Some could not make it before the original end date because of their schedules.

Chagee agreed to extend the display until Oct 13.

Rifqi said he hopes to visit Chagee's factory in China, bring the standee to other outlets and create his own drink with the brand.

However, he said these ideas are aspirations rather than confirmed plans. He has casually raised the possibility of visiting the factory to them, but no arrangements have been formalised.

Creating his own drink is something he would genuinely like to explore in the future. If given the chance, he would be keen to experiment with a light, fruity tea, such as caramel-infused or lychee-infused Pu'er.

For now, Rifqi sees the standee as a significant milestone in his content creation journey, even though the idea began as a joke.

AsiaOne has reached out to Chagee for more information.

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