Korean retailers are ramping up intellectual property (IP) collaborations with popular content franchises to attract fandoms as new customers. By partnering with film, game, and character IPs, companies are transforming shopping app interfaces, stores, and accommodation spaces into fandom experience venues. The approach is spreading across commerce, beauty, and food and beverage sectors, as it allows retailers to quickly capture customer segments that were difficult to reach through conventional advertising and promotions.
CJ ONSTYLE said on Tuesday that it has launched a co-branded project with Walt Disney Company Korea to coincide with the release of the film "The Devil Wears Prada 2," running through Aug. 14. Titled "This Summer, ONSTYLE Wears the Devil," the project reflects the narratives of the film's two protagonists working in the fashion industry, offering curated styling recommendations ranging from office looks to resort wear through the CJ ONSTYLE app. Movie fans and fashion-conscious consumers can experience the styling sensibility of a renowned fashion magazine editor through the app.
Fandoms are seen as more likely than general consumers to convert content affinity into purchases when their favorite properties are translated into products or spaces. When CJ ONSTYLE previously released merchandise tied to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) fandom, new customers accounted for 65 percent of first-day app traffic. To accelerate its fandom IP commerce strategy, CJ ONSTYLE established a dedicated team called "IP-X Team" earlier this year.
Fandom-targeted IP collaborations are expanding beyond limited-edition merchandise to everyday beauty and fashion products. Amorepacific's Laneige partnered with professional gaming team "T1" to launch a skincare set, aiming to attract male customers — a relatively underdeveloped segment in the beauty market — by tapping into the e-sports fandom. The set surpassed 100 million won ($72,000) in sales within 11 days of launch.
SPAO, a clothing brand under E-Land World, has launched pajamas and T-shirts featuring character IPs Ganadi and Manggom, which rapidly spread as social media memes among teens and twenty-somethings and built dedicated fandoms. The retail industry is accelerating its IP discovery efforts by collaborating with emerging characters gaining attention on social media, rather than relying solely on established large IPs such as Disney and Sanrio.
Efforts to target K-pop idol fandoms are also continuing. Mega MGC Coffee has been collaborating seasonally with SM Entertainment artists including Hearts2Hearts and RIIZE, offering beverage menus and merchandise at 3,500 stores nationwide. In stores, customers can receive drink recommendations chosen by the artists themselves and hear support messages, turning cafes into fandom experience spaces.
Accommodation platform Airbnb unveiled its "CORTIS's Secret Space in Seoul" project on Sunday in collaboration with CORTIS, a rookie boy group under Big Hit Music. The actual space in Seoul, designed to reflect the group's album concept, allows fans to meet members in person or stay overnight. The initiative aims to channel demand from foreign tourists visiting Korea to experience K-pop culture into platform users.
The theme park industry is also pursuing IP collaborations to secure new customer bases. Lotte World opened "Maple Island" on Aug. 3, Korea's first permanent game IP theme zone in the country's theme park history, in partnership with Nexon's online game MapleStory. The approximately 600-pyeong (1,983-square-meter) zone includes four attractions, including a roller coaster, and a gift shop, all built around the MapleStory universe. Since the opening, visitor numbers have risen about 20 percent compared to the previous week.
"Consumers are increasingly consuming not just products but also the experiences and stories that content and characters offer," a retail industry official said. "Securing IPs with established fandoms allows retailers to expand into merchandise, collaboration products, and content, positioning such deals as a core competitive advantage in the retail sector."
