SOUTH KOREA. In response to a surge in Chinese group tourist numbers, Lotte Duty Free has signed top boy group NCT DREAM to help front its marketing drive.
As reported, the Chinese government added South Korea to its list of approved group tour destinations on 10 August.
NCT DREAM join fellow top names Super Junior, Lee Jun-ho, Twice, Stray Kids, and Espa as Lotte Duty Free models. The group is hugely popular in South Korea and also around the world, with a particularly big fan base in Japan and Greater China.
NCT DREAM is a seven-member multinational group that debuted in 2016. They have a number of hits including ISTJ, Buffering (Glitch Mode), and Taste (Hot Sauce). The third full-length album ‘ISTJ’, generated more than 4.2 million per-order copies when released in July.
The latest signing continues the travel retailer’s big marketing push since the pandemic-related travel constraints were lifted last year.
In February, Lotte Duty Free held a Twice fan meeting followed in August by a similar event for Super Junior, which attracted about 1,000 Japanese tourists.
June saw the 32nd Lotte Duty Free Family Concert, which was watched by 30,000 foreign customers. NCT Dream appeared at the last Family Concert and will visit customers with a variety of K-content and events as Lotte Duty Free models in the future.
Lotte Duty Free Head of Marketing Division Noh Jae-seung said, “We expect that the number of Chinese group tourists visiting Korea will gradually increase from September-October.
“We will continue our marketing activities with the Lotte Duty Free models to provide customers with rich experiences and attractions in addition to duty free shopping.”
As reported, Lotte has also launched a campaign themed ‘Living in the Lotte Duty Free Zone – bigger than the airport’, which emphasises the customer benefits and convenience of downtown and online duty free shopping. The marketing initiative includes an advertising video starring Super Junior and Espa.
The video has generated tremendous reaction from global customers, attracting 37.2 million cumulative views in about 50 days since its launch. In October, Lotte Duty Free will host a ‘Lotte Duty Free All-Night Party’ featuring Lotte Duty Free models Lee Jun-ho and Twice. Details of the event can be found at Lotte Internet Duty Free and on the official SNS. ✈
