SOUTH KOREA. Lotte Duty Free has created a new marketing campaign around the word ‘Yum’ to drive sales to Korean customers. The word ‘Yum’ (a reference to something delicious in English) is embodied in Korean and draws on the acronym for Lotte Duty Free, LDF.
Lotte Duty Free described the campaign as a response to its withdrawal from some Incheon International Airport T1 businesses (and subsequent failure to regain them with a lower bid). The campaign is an effort to “reimagine” Lotte Duty Free’s shopping offer, the company said.
“Where can I buy cosmetics now when Lotte Incheon International Airport does not sell them anymore?” – Lotte Duty Free video
Earlier, on 22 May, Lotte released a ‘Yum Super Junior’ episode (below) through its social media network. The film starts with boy band Super Junior heartthrob member Lee Teuk asking his colleague Hee-chul to say Lotte Duty Free in English. A third band member, Eunhyuk, is then asked to express Lotte Duty Free in three letters. The answer, of course, is LDF/Yum. The video ends with the group shouting ‘Yum’.
At a packed Lotte Duty Free Family Concert at Jamsil Stadium on 22 June, ‘Yum’ commercials were released for the first time. When the performers yelled out “Yum”, about 100,000 audience members shouted the term back. Boy band Bulletproof Boy Scouts (BTS) ended with a grand ‘Yum’ finale.
Lotte Duty Free also plans a series of provocative commercials related to its withdrawal from Incheon. One episode, scheduled for release in July, starts with questions such as “Where can I buy cosmetics now when Lotte Incheon International Airport does not sell them anymore?”
Further videos will feature big-name artists such as Super Junior, Lee Jong Suk, Bulletproof Boy Scouts, TWICE and EXO. The ‘Yum’ commercial videos are also available in Chinese, Japanese, and English, with plans in place for a global launch.
The videos will be available on various Lotte platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Prizes will be offered for writing and dance submissions featuring the Yum theme.
Lotte Duty Free Shop CEO Jang Sun-wook said: “In the current fast-changing duty free market environment, it is important for companies to reach out to customers first. Lotte Duty Free is not only getting closer to customers through its new symbol ‘Yum’ but also will lead the trend in the manner of an industry leader.”
