What happens when you blend a love story, a passion for animation, and a spark of creative marketing magic? You get Choco and Pancake—the self-taught, real-life duo who transformed a heartfelt project into a thriving, community-driven brand. 

Over the past three years, this long-distance couple turned creators have built an entire whimsical universe based on their relationship, using their animated alter egos—a sweet chocolate bar and an adorable pancake—to tell stories that resonate with audiences of all ages. 

However, what began as a way to stay connected during a long-distance romance quickly grew into something bigger: a vibrant online world filled with relatable moments, playful animation, and a deep emotional bond with their fans. 

Today, Choco and Pancake have amassed a loyal following across social media while building a merch empire that offers everything from seasonal plushies to digital downloads and exclusive memberships. 

Below, we’ll explore how they turned creativity and connection into a powerful marketing strategy—and how Fourthwall helped them transform casual fans into lifelong supporters, all while staying true to the heart of their story.

Creative Marketing Tactics That Set Them Apart

 Selling merch online is easy, but building a brand that fans genuinely love takes something more.

 Choco and Pancake have mastered the art of turning their products into experiences, using smart, creative tactics that keep their audience emotionally invested at every step.

 Here’s a closer look at three key strategies they use to stand out, grow their community, and turn casual followers into loyal superfans.

1. Showcasing Products in Adorable Short-Form Videos

Choco and Pancake don’t just advertise their products—they bring them to life. 

Through a variety of short-form videos across YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok, their content does a great job of blending their marketing with their animation.

In addition, they even have full product reveals with voice-overs of the characters marketing the products themselves. 

This tactic makes every product feel like a natural extension of their world, not just something for sale. 

By letting their characters be the "spokespeople," Choco and Pancake make their promotions more entertaining, relatable, and emotionally engaging, which ultimately builds stronger fan loyalty and higher sales.

Tactic Breakdown:

• Soft Selling: Their plushies and keychains are never forced into the spotlight; they naturally fit into the flow of their content, making promotion feel organic rather than pushy. 
• High-Quality Editing: Each video is polished with smooth panning shots that highlight product details, carefully timed upbeat music that matches the tone of its characters, and a clear storytelling arc that introduces, teases, and celebrates the product—all within 10–15 seconds. 
• Emotional Connection: Every product feels like a piece of their animated world brought to life, turning ordinary purchases into personal keepsakes. This emotional layer (the feeling that you’re part of their ongoing story) transforms casual buyers into lifelong supporters.

Why It Works:

Choco and Pancake’s short-form videos do more than showcase products—they invite fans deeper into their world. 

By blending soft-selling techniques, high-quality editing, and heartfelt storytelling, they make every product feel like an extension of their characters and personal journey. 

This approach not only transforms promotions into cute experiences but makes every fan feel like they're taking home a piece of the story.

2. Seasonal Product Drops That Create Urgency

When it comes to their product catalog, Choco and Pancake’s most popular items are undoubtedly their plushies. 

Squishy, lovable, and full of personality, these plush dolls have quickly become fan favorites—not just for their cute designs, but for what they represent: a physical piece of the Choco and Pancake universe.

However, what sets them apart even further is how they market these limited-edition plushies around seasonal themes and holidays.

For instance, when it came to rolling out their limited edition glow-in-the-dark Halloween plushies, Choco and Pancake started with a quick product announcement on their TikTok, which also highlighted other Halloween merch items like stickers, phone cases, and apparel for sale. 

A week later, they posted another promotional video on both their TikTok and Instagram accounts. However, this video included an announcement that only a limited number of plushies were in stock.

These posts drove excitement and engagement on both their channels, with fans commenting on how badly they wanted to own those items. 

By consistently rolling out limited-edition merch tied to specific seasons, they give their followers a reason to keep coming back to their store and social media channels.

Tactic Breakdown:

• Limited Edition Strategy: Fans are incentivized to buy now because seasonal items may not come back. By emphasizing scarcity through timed announcements and limited stock updates, Choco and Pancake create an urgency that naturally pushes fans to act quickly without feeling pressured.
• Seasonal Relevance: The new merchandise aligns perfectly with major holidays and seasonal vibes, feeling timely and exciting. The company's products often match the mood, colors, and themes of each season, making their merchandise feel like a natural part of fans’ holiday traditions and celebrations.
• Built-In FOMO: Knowing the drops are limited creates a natural urgency without needing aggressive sales language. By teasing limited quantities and reminding fans of fast sellouts, they turn product launches into community events, where fans feel proud to be among the lucky ones who scored an exclusive piece.

Why It Works:

Choco and Pancake’s seasonal merch strategy transforms ordinary product launches into special events that fans look forward to throughout the year.

Tying their releases to seasonal themes allows them to emphasize limited availability while consistently promoting across platforms. This helps generate a cycle of excitement and urgency that keeps their community engaged and active.

Instead of relying on constant hard-selling, they build anticipation naturally, driving both emotional investment and quick purchasing decisions, ensuring that each new drop feels just as magical and must-have as the last.

3. Full Product Ecosystem: Physical + Digital + Memberships

Choco and Pancake don't rely on just one type of product—they built a full merch store that offers something for every kind of fan.

Beyond plushies and keychains, they offer a variety of apparel and accessories as well as three themed collections that include bags, stickers, drinkware, greeting cards, blankets, phone cases, and notebooks featuring different Choco and Pancake art. 

In addition, their store includes custom digital products like custom wallpaper for your phone and custom couple portraits, which give fans the chance to be transformed into their own version of the lovable characters. 

With digital portraits, customers can choose between a detailed background option for $130 or a no-background option for $70. Both are delivered as high-resolution, printable files with two rounds of revisions included, making them perfect, personalized gifts for couples.

In addition to their impressive product catalog, Choco and Pancake have built a thriving subscription platform through Fourthwall Memberships, offering fans exclusive perks across three tiers starting at $5/month.

Depending on the tier, members can access monthly phone wallpapers, animated sticker packs, merch discounts, members-only products, free digital art, and even custom merch design requests.

This affordable subscription model keeps their most loyal fans engaged while providing a steady income stream to support future creative projects. 

Tactic Breakdown:

• Diverse Product Catalog: By offering a wide range of physical and digital products from plushies and apparel to phone cases, greeting cards, and custom portraits, Choco and Pancake appeal to fans with different interests, needs, and budgets. This variety not only boosts overall sales but also keeps their store feeling fresh, exciting, and accessible year-round.
• Personalized Offerings: Their custom digital couple portraits give fans a one-of-a-kind way to connect personally with the brand, making the Choco and Pancake universe feel even more intimate and special. Offering personalized products turns one-time buyers into emotionally invested supporters who feel seen and valued.
• Membership Program: Through their tiered Fourthwall membership program, Choco and Pancake deliver exclusive content, merch discounts, and special perks that reward ongoing loyalty. This recurring revenue model not only builds financial stability but also strengthens the bond between the creators and their most dedicated fans.

Why It Works:

By creating a whole product ecosystem that blends physical merch, digital content, and exclusive memberships, Choco and Pancake give their fans multiple ways to stay connected beyond a single purchase.

This strategy succeeds because it transforms their store into a living extension of their brand, offering ongoing rewards, experiences, and personal touches that keep fans coming back for more.

For other creators, the takeaway is clear: offering variety, personalization, and exclusive experiences gives fans more reasons to stay invested long-term.

Creators who build with their audience in mind rather than just selling to them will turn casual followers into loyal brand advocates.

What Creators Should Take Away from Choco and Pancake

Choco and Pancake didn’t just launch merch — they built an entire brand experience that their audience genuinely wants to be part of.

Their success proves that it’s not enough to simply sell products; you need to create something your fans feel emotionally connected to. When you:

• Focus on storytelling over hard selling
• Seamlessly weave your products into your content
• Create seasonal hype early: tease products at least a month ahead of the drop
• Offer a thoughtful mix of digital and physical goods tailored to your audience's lifestyle

For creators who want to elevate their merch game, Choco and Pancake are the blueprint: Create a world worth stepping into, invite your audience to be part of it, and design products that feel like a piece of that story.