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Korean singers and actors are immensely popular in Indonesia. Pop-up stores and events featuring them frequently appear in shopping malls, and they often star in commercials for well-known companies.

Introduction

Korean celebrities collaborating with Indonesian companies is not uncommon. For example, in 2022, a collaboration between the K-Pop group NCT Dream and the health-conscious instant noodle brand Lemonilo garnered significant attention.

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

Korean Artist Promotional Campaigns in Indonesia: By the Numbers

Sales of Indonesian instant noodles Lemonilo increased by 154.9% through a photo card giveaway featuring NCT Dream

As K-Pop and K-Dramas gain worldwide popularity, Korean singers and actors have become hugely popular in Indonesia as well. As a result, many Indonesian companies appoint Korean artists as brand ambassadors or feature them in commercials.

Recently, in 2022, a collaboration between the K-Pop group NCT Dream and the health-oriented instant noodle brand Lemonilo gained widespread attention. According to a study by Compas Dashboard, a provider of e-commerce sales promotion solutions, Lemonilo’s sales increased by 154.9% compared to the previous month in February 2022, when they ran a campaign offering NCT Dream photo cards as a giveaway.

Ranking of Food and Beverage Brands Associated with Korean Artists

In June 2022, research firm Katadata conducted a survey among fans of Korean entertainment. One of the questions asked respondents whether they could recall a specific food or beverage brand or related company when thinking of a Korean artist. The following ranking shows the results.

At the top of the list, 21.3% of respondents (out of those who could name any combination) recalled the collaboration between Lemonilo and NCT Dream, which had taken place shortly before the survey.

In second place was the combination of the instant noodle brand Mie Sedap and Mr. Choi Siwon (a member of SUPER JUNIOR), who had been serving as a brand ambassador since 2019. Third place went to McDonald’s and BTS, likely due to the extremely popular 2021 collaboration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when dining out was restricted, online food delivery drivers flooded McDonald’s outlets nationwide, creating a stir.

In fourth place was Luwak White Koffie, a popular instant coffee in Indonesia, which first appointed Mr. Lee Min Ho as a brand ambassador in 2015—drawing significant attention. Although the collaboration has ended, it remains strongly imprinted 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 seen above, many domestic and international food and beverage brands in Indonesia are implementing promotional campaigns using Korean artists. Korean celebrities are also actively involved in the promotion of cosmetics and apparel. While all rankings listed above feature male artists or 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%”

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Visual Case Study: Promotional Campaigns Featuring Korean Artists in Indonesia

TV Commercial of Lemonilo Featuring NCT Dream

Watch the video

This video is a television commercial aired in 2022 featuring NCT Dream promoting Lemonilo.

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

Lemonilo first appeared in 2017. It is a healthy instant noodle brand characterized by non-fried noodles that are free from preservatives, flavor enhancers, and artificial colorings, and marketed as low in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and gluten.

The collaboration between Lemonilo and NCT Dream—who have a large fanbase in Indonesia and are associated with a young and healthy image—produced significant results, as mentioned earlier. However, when the photo card giveaway campaign ended in March 2022, sales returned to pre-campaign levels and have since remained sluggish.

The price of Lemonilo is IDR 6,200 per pack. Considering that major Indonesian instant noodle brands such as Indomie and Mie Sedap are priced below IDR 3,000, Lemonilo is relatively expensive.
(Approx. USD $0.41 per pack, compared to Indomie at under USD $0.20. Conversion rate: IDR 15,000 = USD $1)

Even with the growing interest in health-conscious choices, many consumers hesitate to switch to a product that costs twice as much for something they consume daily.

Bulk Purchasing of Lemonilo for NCT Dream Photo Cards

Watch the video

A review of social media posts by NCT Dream fans—referred to as NCTzens—shows that many people purchased Lemonilo in bulk during the campaign in order to obtain photo cards of NCT Dream members.

This video features a report by one such fan, showing the unboxing of Lemonilo purchased in bulk to collect 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 contained alternative cards with health tips instead.

As a result, some fans were likely disappointed when the number of photo cards they obtained did not match the amount of Lemonilo they purchased. The video’s uploader, for example, opened dozens of packs but ended up with only seven cards from four different types.

The 154.9% increase in Lemonilo sales can arguably be attributed to the success of this strategy.

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Promotional Impact of K-Pop Artists in Indonesia

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

In Indonesia, many companies collaborate with Korean artists to boost sales and enhance brand recognition. While the promotional effect of NCT Dream on Lemonilo’s sales was temporary, it likely contributed to increased brand awareness among people beyond the fanbase—such as those who saw the TV commercials during the campaign or witnessed others bulk-buying Lemonilo in stores.

Although it is rare for Japanese artists to reach the level of popularity of groups like NCT Dream or BTS, Japanese manga and anime characters are very popular instead. It will be interesting to observe what types of marketing strategies and ambassador selections will succeed in the future.