Kyochon Chicken Chooses Actor Byeon Woo-seok as Brand Model
Breaking the ‘No Celebrity Marketing’ Philosophy
Actor Byeon Woo-seok, who has been expanding his activities into the household appliances and financial industries, has now become the first to break Kyochon Chicken’s long-standing taboo of not using celebrity models in the food industry.
On the 21st, it was reported that Kyochon Chicken, one of Korea’s top three chicken brands, has selected Byeon Woo-seok as their new brand model. This marks the first time the company has hired a celebrity model since actor Lee Min-ho in 2016, as they have been avoiding ‘star marketing.’
Previously, on October 18th, Kyochon Chicken hinted at this surprise announcement on their social media platforms, stating, “A new face of Kyochon Chicken will debut on October 23rd,” and “The hottest icon of today has met Kyochon Chicken.”
Comments on the post already included remarks like “It’s obviously Byeon Woo-seok,” “I’ve gained over 100 kg while looking for Byeon Woo-seok,” and “You can tell it’s Byeon Woo-seok just by the hands.”
The decision to choose Byeon Woo-seok as a model, considering Kyochon Chicken’s focus on the competitiveness of their product, seems to be aimed at boosting brand recognition and improving sales.
Byeon Woo-seok, who hit his peak in the cable channel tvN drama ‘Seonjae Running Away,’ was chosen in June as the advertisement model for LG Electronics’ wireless portable lifestyle screen ‘Stand By Me,’ and in July, he became the model for NH Nonghyup Bank.
In September, citing his bright and fresh image as a match for the brand, Byeon Woo-seok became the brand model for SPC Baskin Robbins and was also chosen as the integrated brand model for HR tech platform company Job Korea’s ‘Job Korea·AlbaMon.’
Job Korea explained that their decision to select Byeon Woo-seok as a model was based on his diverse charm shown through dedicated acting in every role and his significant growth as an actor through continuous activity, which aligns with the company’s philosophy.
In addition, Byeon Woo-seok has been appointed as the advertisement model for Paldo’s ‘Paldo Bibimmyeon’ and as of October 9th, for Ediya Coffee as part of their strategy to strengthen competitiveness in the coffee franchise industry.
An industry insider mentioned, “It’s not just about ‘star marketing,'” but added, “Competitors of the companies that have chosen Byeon Woo-seok as their model will likely be mindful of it.”