SOUTH KOREA. Lotte Duty Free has today unveiled the return of blockbuster K-pop girl group aespa as global ambassadors, reinforcing the retailer’s celebrity-led campaigns to connect with international shoppers.
As reported, the travel retailer kicked off 2025 with a ‘Who’s Next?’ teaser video on social media before revealing KickFlip and Hearts2Hearts as brand models.
On 5 March, the ‘Who’s Next?’ teaser again stirred speculation among customers about the identity of the next ambassador.
Part of K-pop’s fourth generation, the four-member aespa under SM Entertainment has built a global following since debuting in 2020 with Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning.
The group’s chart-topping releases include Next Level, Supernova, Armageddon and Whiplash.
Last year, the group recorded its seventh million-seller with mini-album Rich Man and continued its global activities, meeting fans worldwide during a third world tour, SYNK: aeXIS Line.
The reappointment builds on the success of aespa’s previous two-year partnership with Lotte Duty Free, which began in 2022 and helped strengthen the retailer’s brand equity.
The retailer sees aespa’s huge popularity among fans in Japan, Greater China and Southeast Asia as a strategic advantage in attracting more tourists.
Joining KickFlip and Hearts2Hearts, aespa will star in the retailer’s outdoor advertising campaigns at key stores, including the Myeong-dong flagship and World Tower stores in Seoul, and in digital campaigns.
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In addition, Lotte Duty Free plans to roll out exclusive content across its 17 stores in Korea and global locations, including special merchandise and video campaigns featuring the models.
Lotte Duty Free Head of Marketing Namgung Pyo said: “We expect to maximise global marketing synergies by collaborating again with aespa, a representative K-pop artist. Lotte Duty Free plans to strengthen customised marketing this year to provide differentiated shopping experiences to global customers.”
The retailer is ramping up efforts this year to enhance experiential content and global marketing. A key initiative was the January revamp of the Star Avenue at its Myeongdong Main Store, which integrated digital media elements and drew over 700,000 visitors within two months of reopening.
Moving forward, Lotte Duty Free plans to leverage its model lineup and Star Avenue’s digital content to deliver diverse and immersive K-culture experiences for international tourists. ✈
