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| Mokpo-based brewing company Bohae's new lineup of the soju, "Yeosu Night Sea," features four paintings by webtoon artist Kian84. Courtesy of Bohae |
By Park Han-sol
In recent months, the liquor sector has been seeking a breakthrough in terms of launching viral marketing to target younger drinkers in their 20s and 30s. Some have found the answer by forming collaborations with popular performers in the entertainment sector ― K-pop and webtoon ― with a wide following.
Mokpo-based brewing company Bohae in South Jeolla Province announced Wednesday that it has released a new lineup of soju, "Yeosu Night Sea," in collaboration with webtoon creator-turned-artist Kian84.
Under the theme of "the smallest exhibition in the world," the bottles' labels feature four of the artist's paintings that reinterpret the key characters and iconography from his webtoons ― "Fashion King" and "Bokhak Wang (King of the Returnees)" ― in a style of colorful, dynamic pop art.
The QR code on the labels can be scanned to receive a detailed explanation behind each work of art. The soju will be sold in a limited edition of 1 million bottles only.
Bohae stated that it plans to expand its collaboration with other established and rising artists in the future, using the bottles' labels as a new form of "canvas."
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| Rapper and producer Jay Park unveils Won Soju, the first alcoholic beverage launched by his company, Won Spirits, at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District in this Feb. 25 photo. Courtesy of Hyundai Department Store |
Another popular collaboration between the liquor and entertainment sector is between alcoholic beverages and K-pop artists.
One such case is Won Soju, a premium distilled alcohol made from Korean rice that was rolled out by rapper and producer Jay Park.
After Park's decision to dive into the liquor market by launching a new soju brand called Won Spirits at the end of last year, the alcohol first hit the market on Feb. 25 at a pop-up store set up in The Hyundai Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District.
Throughout its one-week-long run, the shop attracted more than 30,000 customers and sold all 20,000 bottles it had prepared, according to the company. The drink, categorized as a local specialty, has also been sold online in limited numbers.
On July 12, Won Soju Spirit, the second product in the company's lineup after Won Soju, was released for sale in GS25 convenience stores nationwide. Just a week after the beverage filled the stores' aisles, all 200,000 bottles were sold out.
Another product unveiled early this year is AOMG Our Ale, launched by the local craft beer brand Jeju Beer Company, in partnership with the music label, AOMG.
Customers can scan the QR code printed on the can to gain access to a total of four AOMG artists' digitally rendered studios and a playlist of their tracks. The first creator in the roster was rapper Simon Dominic and the second was Lee Hi.
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