Korean singers and actors are extremely popular in Indonesia. Pop-up stores and events featuring them are frequently held in shopping malls, and they often appear in commercials for major companies.

Introduction

There is no shortage of collaboration projects between famous Korean celebrities and Indonesian companies. For instance, in 2022, a collaboration between the K-Pop group NCT Dream and the health-oriented instant noodle brand Lemonilo gained significant attention.

This article introduces the impact of this collaboration using data and video content.

Promotional Campaigns in Indonesia Featuring Korean Artists: By the Numbers

NCT Dream Photo Card Giveaway Boosts Sales of Lemonilo Instant Noodles in Indonesia by 154.9%

As K-Pop and K-Drama continue to boom globally, Korean singers and actors are also immensely popular in Indonesia. Consequently, many Indonesian companies appoint Korean artists as brand ambassadors or commercial models.

Recently, in 2022, the collaboration between the K-Pop group NCT Dream and the health-oriented instant noodle brand Lemonilo became a hot topic. According to a survey by Compas Dashboard, a provider of e-commerce sales promotion solutions, Lemonilo’s sales in February 2022 increased by 154.9% compared to the previous month, coinciding with a campaign that offered NCT Dream photo cards as a gift.

Rankings of Food and Beverage Brands Associated with Korean Artists

In June 2022, the research firm Katadata conducted a survey among fans of Korean entertainment in Indonesia. One of the questions asked whether respondents could recall any specific food or beverage brands or companies associated with particular artists. The following rankings summarize the results. The combination of Lemonilo and NCT Dream, which had just carried out the above-mentioned campaign, was recalled by 21.3% of respondents who provided an answer—ranking it number one.

The second place went to Mie Sedap, another instant noodle brand, in association with Choi Siwon (a member of SUPER JUNIOR), who has been their brand ambassador since 2019. In third place was McDonald’s and BTS, likely due to the highly popular 2021 collaboration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when dining out was restricted, online food delivery drivers rushed to McDonald’s stores nationwide to fulfill orders, causing quite a stir.

Ranked fourth was Luwak White Koffie, a popular instant coffee brand in Indonesia, which gained attention in 2015 for appointing Lee Min Ho as their brand ambassador—the first time a Korean celebrity was featured in such a role in Indonesia. Although the collaboration has since ended, it seems to remain vivid in fans’ memories.

• Lemonilo (instant noodles) – NCT Dream: 21.3%
• Mie Sedap (instant noodles) – Choi Siwon: 19.5%
• McDonald’s – BTS: 7.6%
• Luwak White Koffie (instant coffee) – Lee Min Ho: 7.4%
• Neo Coffee (instant coffee) – Lucas (former NCT member): 6%
• Nu Green Tea (bottled tea) – NCT Dream: 3.8%
• Mister Potato (potato chips) – Cha Eun Woo (member of ASTRO): 3%
• Coca-Cola – BTS: 2.2%
• Cold Brew Coffee (limited edition bottled coffee) – BTS: 2%

As illustrated, both domestic and international food and beverage brands in Indonesia have conducted promotional campaigns using Korean artists. Korean artists are also active in promoting cosmetics and apparel. While all the top-ranked partnerships involved male artists or male groups, female artists are equally popular.

References:

1. databoks “Ini Merek Makanan yang Sukses Branding Lewat Idol K-Pop”
2. databoks “Gaet NCT, Compas Dashboard Temukan Penjualan Mi Instan Lemonilo Melonjak 154%”

Promotional Campaigns Featuring Korean Artists in Indonesia: A Visual Perspective

Television Commercial Featuring NCT Dream for Lemonilo

[Watch the Video]

This video showcases a television commercial aired in 2022 featuring NCT Dream for Lemonilo.

Lemonilo is a flagship product of PT Lemonilo Indonesia Sehat, a company established in 2016 that manufactures health-conscious food products. In addition to instant noodles, the company also produces snacks, beverages, and seasonings.

Lemonilo was first introduced in 2017. It is a healthy instant noodle product characterized by its non-fried noodles and the absence of preservatives, flavor enhancers, and artificial coloring. It is low in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat, and gluten.

The collaboration with NCT Dream—who have a large fan base in Indonesia and convey a young, healthy image—generated significant results, as mentioned earlier. However, by March 2022, after the card giveaway campaign ended, sales had returned to pre-campaign levels and have remained stagnant since.

Lemonilo is priced at 6,200 IDR per pack. Considering that leading Indonesian instant noodle brands such as Indomie and Mie Sedap are priced below 3,000 IDR, Lemonilo is relatively expensive.

Although there is a growing health consciousness among consumers, many are hesitant to switch to a product that costs twice as much for daily consumption.

Bulk Purchases of Lemonilo for NCT Dream Photo Cards

[Watch the Video]

Social media posts by fans of NCT Dream—referred to as NCTZens—indicate that many people bought Lemonilo in bulk during the campaign period to obtain the photo cards of NCT Dream members.

This video shows one such fan unboxing a large quantity of Lemonilo purchased for the purpose of acquiring the photo cards.

A notable aspect of this campaign was that “not every package contained a photo card.” As seen in the video, some packages included alternative cards with health tips instead.

As a result, the number of photo cards obtained did not always correspond to the quantity of Lemonilo purchased, which likely left many fans disappointed. The video uploader, for example, opened dozens of packs and ended up with only four types of photo cards totaling seven cards.

The 154.9% increase in Lemonilo’s sales can be attributed to this strategy.

The Promotional Impact of K-Pop Artists in Indonesia

According to a 2022 survey report by Twitter, Indonesia ranks as the country with the highest number of K-Pop fans globally. Japan ranks second, followed by the Philippines, the United States, and others.

In such an environment, many Indonesian companies collaborate with Korean artists to drive sales and enhance brand awareness. Although the promotional impact of NCT Dream on Lemonilo’s sales was temporary, the campaign likely contributed to increasing brand recognition among those who were not initially fans—such as people who saw the television commercial or witnessed bulk purchases of Lemonilo in stores during the campaign period.

It is rare to find Japanese artists who match the popularity of NCT Dream or BTS in Indonesia. However, Japanese manga and anime characters are widely popular as alternatives. Going forward, it will be interesting to see which individuals or characters companies choose to feature and what kinds of marketing strategies prove effective.