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Chasing Felix’s keyring: Why brands spend millions on K-pop 'ambassadors'
[BEHIND THE NUMBERS]
Walking into a Gong Cha shop in Gangnam, southern Seoul, in July, the bubble tea franchise was not just full of customers wishing to cool off with a refreshing drink on a hot sunny day; there also were multiple fans of boy band Stray Kids' member Felix who were buying drinks so they could collect all the limited-edition Felix metal pins and key rings released as a part of the singer's ongoing collaboration with the brand.
Another Gong Cha store in Sinchon, western Seoul, even had a printed notice near the kiosk saying that all Felix metal pins were out of stock, and fans of the boy bands have been sharing their experiences and their findings on X since.
"I bought a Felix keyring and it comes with a Gong Cha drink," a Stray Kids fan jokingly said on X on Aug. 1.
The face of Felix is all over the franchise in Korea, as he is the newly appointed brand ambassador of the popular bubble tea brand - there are also special drinks called "Felix Pick" and even the voice on the kiosks has been replaced by the idol's voice, reading out the menu out loud.
It's not just big-name global firms or luxury brands that hire brand ambassadors - like Blackpink's Jennie for Chanel - but also everyday products like budget coffee as well as car companies and online games that have tapped different K-pop idols and actors to represent and advertise a product and brand, which comes with the benefit of a boosted brand image and sales - but also the risk of celebrity affiliation.
The bubble tea brand, after choosing Felix as its global ambassador in June, also engaged in a promotional activity with exclusive merchandise. And while the company didn't reveal any increased sales data, the pins were out of stock in many Gong Cha stores in Seoul in under a month, proving the popularity of the collaboration.
"We chose Felix as a brand ambassador as he enjoys drinking milk tea and has constantly shown his love for Gong Cha," the bubble tea company said, adding that the singer's image and Stray Kids' global fandom were also the reason why the brand chose the idol member as its model.
"The campaign video reached over 7 million views in a month, and the brand ambassador campaign has been contributing to increasing the brand awareness," the company said.
In a similar vein, BTS member V secured a major advertising contract with Coca-Cola Korea earlier this month, following his military discharge. His fondness for the beverage has long been known among fans; he was spotted with cans or bottles in photos well before the deal.
"I'm very happy to share the thrilling joy of everyday life with Coca-Cola, a brand I've long cherished," V said in a statement announcing the collaboration. On Instagram, he added, "No one likes Coke more than I do."
Budget coffee franchises like Mega Coffee and Compose Coffee have also been aggressive with their celebrity partnerships, with the former enlisting both footballer Son Heung-min and SM Entertainment's rookie girl group Hearts2Hearts as the faces of the brand, spending 18.5 billion won ($13.4 million) and 12.5 billion won in advertising in the last two years, respectively.
"Korean firms use famous actors and idols as brand ambassadors more than other countries, and they sometimes do directly lead to an increase in revenue," Hanyang University Prof. Shim Sung-wook, who specializes in advertising and public relations, said. "And even when the appointment of brand models doesn't directly lead to revenue, they have a positive effect on the brand's image and raise awareness of the brand, leading to future purchases."
Compose Coffee, similarly, chose BTS member V as its brand ambassador in late 2023, with a budget of 6 billion won ($4.3 million) on the campaign. The coffee brand's profit rose by 8.9 percent in 2024, and it has managed to open around 500 new stores since early last year, helping increase awareness of the relatively lesser-known budget coffee franchise. V's ad video accumulated 10 million views in les...
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By Newsroom of the Korea JoongAng Daily[BEHIND THE NUMBERS]
Walking into a Gong Cha shop in Gangnam, southern Seoul, in July, the bubble tea franchise was not just full of customers wishing to cool off with a refreshing drink on a hot sunny day; there also were multiple fans of boy band Stray Kids' member Felix who were buying drinks so they could collect all the limited-edition Felix metal pins and key rings released as a part of the singer's ongoing collaboration with the brand.
Another Gong Cha store in Sinchon, western Seoul, even had a printed notice near the kiosk saying that all Felix metal pins were out of stock, and fans of the boy bands have been sharing their experiences and their findings on X since.
"I bought a Felix keyring and it comes with a Gong Cha drink," a Stray Kids fan jokingly said on X on Aug. 1.
The face of Felix is all over the franchise in Korea, as he is the newly appointed brand ambassador of the popular bubble tea brand - there are also special drinks called "Felix Pick" and even the voice on the kiosks has been replaced by the idol's voice, reading out the menu out loud.
It's not just big-name global firms or luxury brands that hire brand ambassadors - like Blackpink's Jennie for Chanel - but also everyday products like budget coffee as well as car companies and online games that have tapped different K-pop idols and actors to represent and advertise a product and brand, which comes with the benefit of a boosted brand image and sales - but also the risk of celebrity affiliation.
The bubble tea brand, after choosing Felix as its global ambassador in June, also engaged in a promotional activity with exclusive merchandise. And while the company didn't reveal any increased sales data, the pins were out of stock in many Gong Cha stores in Seoul in under a month, proving the popularity of the collaboration.
"We chose Felix as a brand ambassador as he enjoys drinking milk tea and has constantly shown his love for Gong Cha," the bubble tea company said, adding that the singer's image and Stray Kids' global fandom were also the reason why the brand chose the idol member as its model.
"The campaign video reached over 7 million views in a month, and the brand ambassador campaign has been contributing to increasing the brand awareness," the company said.
In a similar vein, BTS member V secured a major advertising contract with Coca-Cola Korea earlier this month, following his military discharge. His fondness for the beverage has long been known among fans; he was spotted with cans or bottles in photos well before the deal.
"I'm very happy to share the thrilling joy of everyday life with Coca-Cola, a brand I've long cherished," V said in a statement announcing the collaboration. On Instagram, he added, "No one likes Coke more than I do."
Budget coffee franchises like Mega Coffee and Compose Coffee have also been aggressive with their celebrity partnerships, with the former enlisting both footballer Son Heung-min and SM Entertainment's rookie girl group Hearts2Hearts as the faces of the brand, spending 18.5 billion won ($13.4 million) and 12.5 billion won in advertising in the last two years, respectively.
"Korean firms use famous actors and idols as brand ambassadors more than other countries, and they sometimes do directly lead to an increase in revenue," Hanyang University Prof. Shim Sung-wook, who specializes in advertising and public relations, said. "And even when the appointment of brand models doesn't directly lead to revenue, they have a positive effect on the brand's image and raise awareness of the brand, leading to future purchases."
Compose Coffee, similarly, chose BTS member V as its brand ambassador in late 2023, with a budget of 6 billion won ($4.3 million) on the campaign. The coffee brand's profit rose by 8.9 percent in 2024, and it has managed to open around 500 new stores since early last year, helping increase awareness of the relatively lesser-known budget coffee franchise. V's ad video accumulated 10 million views in les...