Paying tribute to idols or earning traffic by hitting porcelain, Kobe Winery recently changed its name to Lao Ke Winery.
Previously, due to the launch of Kobe sauce wine, Guizhou Kobe Liquor Industry, which attracted attention from netizens, underwent a change in business information. The reporter noticed that on May 11th, Guizhou Kobe Liquor Industry Co., Ltd. had been changed to Guizhou Laoke Liquor Industry Co., Ltd., and videos of Kobe sauce wine and other products previously launched were also deleted from social media.
At the end of April, a social media account named Guizhou Kobe Wine Industry Co., Ltd. attracted the attention of netizens because it launched two “Kobe sauce wines” with packaging elements such as basketball and basketball player Kobe’s jersey number. Netizens accused it of riding on Kobe’s popularity and attracted the attention of the market supervision department in Guiyang.
According to business records, Guizhou Kobe Winery Co., Ltd. was established in August 2023 and applied for multiple trademarks related to the Kobe concept in early 2024. The major shareholder is Yu Yongyang. On May 9, 2024, the company applied to change its name to Guizhou Laoke Winery.
On social media platforms, the reporter saw that the registered name is still Guizhou Kobe Brewery, but the product videos and personal instructions about Kobe sauce wine have been adjusted and content containing the concept of Kobe has been removed. The reporter contacted the above-mentioned account via private message, but did not receive a response as of the time of publication.
In a video released on April 28th, Yu Yongyang claimed to be a basketball fan for over 30 years and also a fan of Kobe. He launched the product to pay tribute to his idol. Regarding the progress of the product launch, Yu Yongyang stated that he is listening to the suggestions and rectification opinions of the regulatory authorities, and there is currently no timeline for the product launch.
Cai Xuefei, an analyst of Baijiu, told China Business News that from the information disclosed at this stage, kobe sauce wine is more of a private act, and if it carries out formal business activities, it will face the risk of infringement. It is true that Kobe Bryant, the suspected porcelain player, can get some traffic exposure, but the core of the Baijiu brand is not based on the concept, and it is difficult to be optimistic if it enters the actual business prospect in the future.