Lotte Department Store has chosen JENNIE as its new brand ambassador ??and the appointment matters for more than celebrity marketing.
The retailer says this is the first time in 10 years that it has used an advertising model.
Beginning in October, JENNIE will front Lotte Department Store's "As I Am" campaign across Korean stores, digital channels, transportation hubs and overseas locations.
By the numbers
10 years ??Time since Lotte Department Store last used an advertising model
4 overseas stores ??Lotte locations in Vietnam and Indonesia that will carry JENNIE-led campaigns and projects
October 21 ??Scheduled release date for the first full campaign film on Lotte Department Store's official YouTube and Instagram channels
2 major Korean travel hubs ??Incheon International Airport and Seoul Station, where the campaign will also appear
Why JENNIE ??and why now?
Lotte says the appointment is part of an effort to strengthen its global brand competitiveness.
That is the more interesting part of the story.
For years, Korea's department stores were primarily physical retail destinations: places to shop for luxury, fashion, beauty, food and gifts.
Now, foreign tourism and K-pop's global reach are pushing those retailers to think more like international consumer brands.
JENNIE gives Lotte a face that is already recognized well beyond Korea.
The campaign goes where foreign visitors arrive
The campaign will not stay inside department stores.
Lotte says JENNIE advertising will appear at Incheon International Airport, including baggage-claim areas, and at Seoul Station ??places where international visitors first enter the city or move through it.
The retailer will also take the campaign to four overseas stores in Vietnam and Indonesia, including Lotte Mall West Lake Hanoi.
That turns the ambassador appointment into a customer-acquisition strategy across both inbound tourism and overseas retail.
What shoppers should not assume yet
The first full campaign film is scheduled for October 21.
Until Lotte officially identifies specific products, brands or items featured in the campaign, SEEN IN KOREA will not label any product as "JENNIE's pick" or "JENNIE recommended."
Once the official campaign assets are released, the useful follow-up is straightforward:
identify the exact products shown, verify the brands, compare Korean and overseas prices, and explain where visitors can actually buy them.
That is when this moves from celebrity news into a practical shopping story.