Starbucks Limited-Edition New Year Goods... "Red Horse" Marketing Surges Amid Economic Downturn

Food and Alcoholic Beverage Industries Launch Limited-Edition Packaging and Merchandise

The distribution industry is accelerating marketing campaigns that prominently feature the “Red Horse” of the twelve zodiac animals, symbolizing the year of Byeong-o (2026). In particular, the food and alcoholic beverage sectors are standing out with seasonal strategies that combine limited-edition packaging and new product launches.

According to the industry on January 2, Starbucks has chosen the Red Horse as the concept for its New Year’s merchandise. The limited-edition collection, released exclusively through the online select shop 29CM, is inspired by the Shetland Pony of Scotland and includes tumblers, mugs, keyrings, and decorative items.

Krispy Kreme Donuts, operated by Lotte GRS, has launched four new products under the “Bokbadeuranmariya” concept, featuring donuts shaped like a horse’s face, horseshoes, and carrot fields beloved by horses. Tous Les Jours has introduced the “2026 Unicorn Dream” cake as a New Year’s limited edition, using the unicorn-a mythical horse-shaped creature-as its main motif, and incorporating a rainbow to symbolize hope.

Yonsei Dairy has released four types of strawberry desserts-strawberry fresh cream bread, roll cake, mammoth bread, and cupcakes-emphasizing dynamism by featuring a red horse illustration on the packaging.

'Bokbadeuranmariya' Donuts 4 Types. Krispy Kreme Donuts

The alcoholic beverage industry is also highly active. Golden Blue International, in collaboration with Taiwan’s King Car Group, is launching the “Kavalan Soloist Madeira Cask” Byeong-o Year limited edition package exclusively for the Korean market. The front of the package features a red horse to highlight energy and the spirit of leaping forward.

Naracella has introduced a special edition of “Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon” with a red horse label, limited to 10,000 bottles. Ayoung FBC has released the “Diablo Year of the Red Horse Goblin Edition,” completing the fourth installment in its series following the Goblin, Blue Dragon, and Blue Lion editions. The product combines motifs of a red horse in ink-wash painting style, a goblin, and flames, blending Korean symbolism with modern graphics.

Kavalan Soloist Madeira Cask. Golden Blue

Hwayo has launched the “Hwayo 53 Jeokma Edition” in collaboration with illustrator Heukyoseok. The bottle depicts a man stroking a red horse, while the packaging shows a woman embracing the horse, visually conveying messages of leap and inclusiveness.

Industry insiders note that zodiac marketing is being used not just as a seasonal event, but as a means to express brand identity. Especially in the food sector, companies are actively combining symbolism and meaning in zodiac marketing to attract consumer choices amid economic downturns. The passion and leap-forward image of the “Red Horse” in the year of Byeong-o is seen as well-suited to delivering a positive message in line with the New Year’s atmosphere.

An industry official explained, “Applying limited-edition packaging to existing flagship products is a way to differentiate with minimal cost burden. The sense of rarity also encourages both purchases and online buzz at the same time.”