In the past, actors and actresses were the most sought-after celebrities to endorse advertisements but now the pendulum has shifted to idol stars. Girl group KARA were recently selected to endorse KIA's 'PRIDE' in both online advertisements and outdoor billboards. Although idols are frequently selected to advertise items that appeal to teenagers such as soft drinks, uniforms, and cell phones, idol groups endorsing car companies, electronics brands, as well as outdoor clothing is a new phenomenon. In the past, car advertisement models were usually professional advertisement models or famous older celebrities, so it's a bit out of the ordinary for an idol group like KARA to be endorsing KIA. Singer IU is also working as a PR model for Hyundai, and as of late, Big Bang has been endorsing NorthFace to follow after seniors such as Won Bin, Cha Seung Won & Cho Insung who have also modeled for outdoors brands. More and more, the younger generation are beginning to take up outdoor activities and therefore the younger idols are being selected to model these brands to better market to their target demographic. A KIA advertising representative stated, "KARA is currently at the forefront of the Hallyu wave, their fame reaching to international fans. They were the perfect candidates to market KIA's 'PRIDE', as we are trying to market the new model to an international audience." He continued, "These days idol groups are loved by fans of all ages so selecting younger celebrities to model the brand is an effective marketing strategy." Source & Image : SportsSeoul via Nate