In the world of icons and celebrities, brand endorsements serve as a symbol of status and influence. With luxury brands vying for the attention of high-profile individuals, a heated debate emerges among fans, arguing their group is better because they are endorsing a more prestigious brand.
BLACKPINK's Jennie is thought of as someone who started the trend of luxury brands selecting K-Pop idols as brand ambassadors. Now, even new K-pop groups like NewJeans are representing many luxury brands. For instance, all 5 NewJeans members became brand ambassadors for different luxury brands just 4 months after their official debut. This trend is not simply limited to girl groups as BTS, TXT, EXO, and Stray Kids members continue to successfully endorse many luxury brands.
But not all idols can be luxury brand ambassadors. In the past, entertainment companies' competency hinged on their ability to push their artists to different variety of TV programs. Now, it is all about getting and renewing the contracts with luxury brands. An insider commented, "It's becoming more and more important to become a luxury brand's ambassador. More managers are reaching out to the brands as it's often thought of as the success of the idol."
Fans are often seen arguing who reigns supreme based on the brand the idol represents. A parent of a teenage daughter commented, "My kid was disappointed that her idol did not become a certain brand's ambassador. I also heard kids saying that someone is a Chanel ambassador but then it's a shame that so and so is representing XX."
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I have nothing against it, as long as idols keep making music. The main focus of idols should be music, but these days, it seems they value more endorsements, while neglecting music.
I get it’s new times we’re living, but back in the day, idols made partnerships with brands and released songs together. It still happens, as IVE and NewJeans released songs with Pepsi and Coke, but it’s not as often as before. Blackpink, for example, had many endorsement deals, and, as far as I remember, none of them came with music. Also, they had about 40 songs in total in their careers, and surely they had more than 40 endorsement deals. At this point, they are more like models or influencers than singer.
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