Businesses have been increasingly working hand in hand with celebrities to create a synergistic effect through different and unique marketing tactics. The first positive case of such a collaboration was Sidus HQ and cafe franchise Caffe Bene. By using Caffe Bene as its background in dramas and having its celebrities like Han Ye Seul actively promote the brand, Caffe Bene quickly rose to the top as a coffee franchise. However, not all collaborations provide to be as successful. Much attention was put on the debut of Korea's first ever 24 member girl group, Leader'S, but little was known about their partnership with coffee franchise 'Scentimor'. Reporters were in for a surprise when they showed up for the group's debut showcase on December 28th. Reporters immediately noticed that the focus was on the investment opportunities for the coffee franchise and not in the girl group's debut. The 20 media outlets that had gathered had shown up for the unveiling of a 24 member girl group project but were instead met with endless explanations on the business behind their franchise, and some reporters even had to give way to let investors in. Once verbal fights began to erupt, reporters left the scene, clearly disappointed with the turnabout of the events. 'Scentimor' had also failed to consider the equipment Leader'S would need for their showcase, so the girls lipsynched their debut without any spotlights to properly show their dance performance. Unfortunately, the debut of Korea's first 24 member girl group ended up being a scheme to attract investors to a new business. Their intentions were seen and heard, and reporters left with a loss of trust. Source + Photos: MK via Naver