The rise of cilantro/coriander: a viral icon with built-in popularity

Since the end of 2023, many brands have started introducing products related to cilantro/coriander. Whether it's fast food, snacks, beverages, or leading players in the beauty industry, they all seem to see cilantro as a fail-proof strategy to attract attention and generate buzz. They leverage the "special preference" some celebrities have for cilantro and utilize the gimmick of "limited time, limited quantity." However, the reality is that brands' love for cilantro can be traced back as early as 2016:

From February 2016 to February 2024, products containing cilantro elements introduced by certain brands. Image from RED

Interestingly, ordinary consumers who dislike cilantro have contributed significantly to the buzz. The endless reasons for hating cilantro have led them to create the "Anti-Cilantro Alliance" and "World Anti-Cilantro Day." Of the hot searches related to cilantro on Weibo between 2020 and 2024, half were driven by celebrity marketing, while the other half stemmed from discussions about the dislike for cilantro. Together, these topics have garnered over 100 million reads.

Every year, "World Anti-Cilantro Day" stirs up a storm on Weibo's trending topics, easily surpassing billions of reads. Brands take advantage of this opportunity to launch new cilantro-themed products.