Zara bows to the viral phenomenon “Butterbear”

Zara joins the Butterbear phenomenon. Thus, the Spanish brand is launching a capsule collection inspired by the popular mascot from the Thai café.

Nong Noey made her debut in June 2024 at the EmSphere shopping centre in Bangkok. Thanks to her charisma and dances, she began interacting with visitors, promoting the café’s sweets. Subsequently, a Chinese tourist recorded one of these moments and uploaded it to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. As a result, the video went viral, with over 16 million views and 5 million likes. In this way, the bear went from being a local mascot to an Asian-wide viral phenomenon.

Her popularity grew rapidly. Therefore, the Thai government appointed her as an unofficial tourism ambassador and she featured in promotional campaigns at iconic Bangkok locations. Furthermore, she also collaborated with brands such as KFC, Colgate, Gucci, and MCM. Now, it is Zara’s turn.

The “Butterbear for Zara” capsule is designed for the back-to-school season. Thus, it includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, tracksuit bottoms, polos, and cardigans for women, men, and children aged 4 to 14. Likewise, all items feature Nong Noey alongside the Butterbear logo and will be available in selected markets, including China, Japan, and Thailand.

The “Butterbear Academy – Zara” pop-up in Shanghai recreates a school from start to finish: classrooms, corridors, changing rooms, and even a sports hall. This immersive space will be open from 14 to 31 August 2025 at 988 Middle Huaihai Road, Xuhui District. In addition to this pop-up and the online store, selected shops across mainland Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia will sell the capsule.