K-Pop Idols Collaborated With Food Brands That You Must Know About
Table Of Content
- Why Are The Kpop Idols Being Chosen As The Brand Ambassadors?
- Blackpink and Oreo
- NCT Dream and Lemonilo
- McDonald's and BTS
- Other Notable Collaborations
- What are the Relevant Factors at Play Behind These Collaborations?
- Emotional Connection and Loyalty
- FOMO: Most Favored Marketing Strategy
- Social Media
- Drawing The Line…
It is always interesting to observe how these K-pop idols, who adhere to extremely strict diets, endorse food brands that are not particularly healthy.
Recently, I found a picture of me buying a packet of Oreos with Jennie’s face on it. This reminded me of Blackpink’s collaboration with Oreo, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
So, Hello, my lovely people! Another day, and I am back with another insightful topic. Today, in this article, we will discuss how K-pop celebrities have influenced food culture beyond Korean cuisine.
Yes, you guessed it right. In this article, we will discuss how K-pop celebrities have influenced food culture beyond Korean cuisine.
Why Are The Kpop Idols Being Chosen As The Brand Ambassadors?
The trend of using K-pop idols as brand ambassadors in foreign countries is inextricably linked to the influence of the Korean Wave, which has spread worldwide.
The Korean Wave, also referred to as Hallyu, denotes the growing popularity of South Korean pop culture beyond other Asian nations.
The Korean Wave started in the early 1990s with the huge popularity of South Korean television dramas, also known as K-Dramas, in various countries, including-
- China
- Japan
- Taiwan
- Hong Kong
- Vietnam
- Thailand
Furthermore, South Korean popular music, commonly referred to as K-pop, gained significant popularity in the early 2000s. Since then, it has successfully produced numerous idols and fans worldwide.
The popularity of K-pop idols has continued to grow in Southeast Asia and has also expanded to the Middle East, the United States, and Europe. In 2011,
K-pop music videos reached a record 2.3 billion clicks across 235 countries on YouTube. In this respect, K-pop idols are utilized as a promotional tool to create images and generate interest in a particular country for marketing purposes.
Korean popular culture spreads with the support of massive entertainment production, including television dramas, music, fashion, and more.
The most talked-about kpop idol food brand endorsements are–
Blackpink and Oreo
Blackpink’s collaboration altered the youth’s perspective on the brand. It made Oreo feel more energetic and stylish, aligning with the group’s image.
This change demonstrates how celebrity endorsements can transform a brand’s identity, making a familiar product appear fresh and appealing to its target audience.
The Blackpink and Oreo collaboration resulted in a significant sales boost for Oreo, particularly in Southeast Asia, with a 28% increase.
The inclusion of over 2 million fan-created videos, along with a hashtag campaign, further supported increased social media engagement, resulting in 16.2 million likes and 91,000 comments.
NCT Dream and Lemonilo
NCT Dream’s partnership with Lemonilo highlights its impact on brand image. Fans, like Yuna, see Lemonilo not just as a healthy food but as a cool and youthful product.
They connect the qualities of the idols, like energy and enthusiasm, to Lemonilo, making it attractive even to those who usually don’t care for healthy foods.
By linking the product to the positive traits of NCT Dream, Lemonilo has positioned itself as more than just a health-conscious choice.
It has become a lifestyle brand that appeals to a young and energetic audience.
McDonald’s and BTS
BTS’ influence has significantly expanded through strategic collaborations with various food brands and restaurants.
BTS partnered with McDonald’s to introduce the “BTS Meal,” which featured Chicken McNuggets accompanied by Korean-inspired sweet chili and Cajun sauces.
This collaboration significantly boosted McDonald’s sales and played a pivotal role in introducing Korean flavors to a broader audience, effectively blending global fast food with the distinctive tastes of Korea.
Moreover, BTS has evolved into a formidable force, shaping global food trends and leaving a lasting impact on both K-pop fans and food enthusiasts worldwide.
This innovative fusion of K-pop culture and cuisine has set a new benchmark for how popular K-pop acts can influence the culinary landscape.
Other Notable Collaborations
- NewJeans and Coca-Cola collaboration
- NCT 127 and Coca-Cola
- Blackpink and Pepsi
- Stray Kids and Coca-Cola
What are the Relevant Factors at Play Behind These Collaborations?
You should take note of a particular, yet subtle and significant point: none of the food brands listed above are Korean.
What I mean to say is that these food brands are not a part of Korean culture, yet the K-pop idols have significantly raised the profile of the brands. Should we find out how?
Emotional Connection and Loyalty
A strong and carefully fostered emotional connection creates strong brand loyalty.
When a fan purchases a product endorsed by their favorite idols, they are not merely acquiring a product; they are also engaging in a form of symbolic support for their idols.
When you emotionally connect with an entity, it becomes a very important factor for you.
As fans feel that purchasing and using these products brings them closer to their idols, turning these purchases into meaningful expressions of devotion.
This echoes the theories of emotional branding, which portrays that products associated with beloved public figures or idols can transcend their intrinsic value, becoming an integral part of a consumer’s identity.
The statistics align with the concept of “brand love,” where fans demonstrate a long-lasting loyalty based on emotional bonds.
FOMO: Most Favored Marketing Strategy
The concept of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has become a significant psychological factor that affects how fans make purchasing decisions.
This feeling is particularly strong in Kpop fandoms, where limited-edition items and exclusive products receive a vast popularity and are quickly circulated on social media.
As a result, fans experience a heightened sense of urgency, fearing they may miss a trend or lose a unique opportunity to engage with their favorite artists.
The scarcity of products, such as the Oreo x Blackpink collaboration or the Lemonilo x NCT Dream items, amplifies this anxiety, pushing fans to act swiftly before these products sell out.
For example, a fan named Ghea discussed the intense pressure she felt upon seeing her friends showcase exclusive Blackpink photo cards that they had acquired with Oreo purchases online.
She admitted that these posts made her feel “left behind,” reinforcing her urgency to obtain the item.
She went on to explain that watching her friends enjoy it first made her realize she was missing out on something important.
Her remarks illustrate the social and mental pressures that FOMO instigates, making the picture more lucrative for brands.
The pressure that FOMO exerts transforms ordinary consumer goods into crucial essentials within the fan community.
Social Media
If there is a tool that becomes a catalyst to leverage on people’s FOMO, this is it. Social media is the only tool you need for your marketing research purposes.
As a K-pop fan, I completely relate to the feeling that comes over you when one of your favorite idols endorses something, but you cannot buy it.
Many K-pop fans worldwide strive to be acknowledged. They often drive themselves to exhaustion in the process, so that everyone considers them a part of this fandom.
Additionally, we have a strong desire to feel close to our biases and idols.
Social media plays a big role in bringing fans together to share their experiences, as in
- Fans often post about what they’ve bought
- Share unboxing videos
- Showcase exclusive items, such as photo cards of Blackpink or NCT Dream.
This content helps promote the product. But it also creates a sense of fear of missing out (FOMO) for fans who have not yet purchased it.
When fans see others enjoying the product, it makes them want to join in and feel the impact of their idol in their lives.
Brands also benefit, as fans tag official accounts and use branded hashtags. This thereby builds a lively online community around the product.
The content created by fans is genuine, showing real excitement and satisfaction, which makes it more effective than regular ads.
When fans share their experiences, they create a story about the product. Furthermore, turning it into a special part of their journey to celebrate their idols.
This sharing and interaction turn the fan community into a powerful marketing tool, with each fan helping to promote the brand to their friends.
Drawing The Line…
As a K-pop fan, I know how extremely painful it is for us to not be able to see and buy our favorite idol’s endorsed products.
Although I know I shouldn’t be weepy about it, the brands are here to earn money. Still, I would like my emotions to be capitalized on. What are your opinions? Do share them in the comment box below!
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