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K-pop groups Stray Kids and Itzy can bring Coca-Cola deeper into South Korean music fandom and its young global audiences, but maintaining those connection requires immersing the brand in the culture behind the pop.
Coca-Cola’s Creations platform has linked the brand with musicians including Ava Max, Rosalia, Marshmello and the Jonas Brothers, designers including Pac Sun and Staple, and tech brands like Samsung and League of Legends. Since 2022, it’s used the full breadth of pop culture to promote its Coke Studio music projects with flavors like Starlight, Dreamworld, Soul Blast, Move, Ultimate and Y3000 that are based on original Coca-Cola but guided by the campaign’s vibe.
Last spring, Coca-Cola named K-pop girl group NewJeans its global ambassadors just months after their debut album was released and gave the five-piece group its own brand-produced single: Zero. That led to a remix with J.I.B. and a collaboration late last year with Jon Batiste, Cat Burns and Camilo, but also provided Coca-Cola more insight into what it was missing.
Oana Vlad, senior director of Coca-Cola global brand and global lead for Coca-Cola Creations and Coca-Cola Zero, said the brand took in Korean culture’s impact on food, fashion, film and streaming, “which I love.” With help from its team in South Korea—and several visits by the global marketing team—Coca-Cola brought aboard producer J.Y. Park (JYP). It also brought together three of K-pop’s heavy hitters: four-time Billboard 200 chart-toppers Stray Kids, longtime Billboard 200 fixture Itzy and one of the biggest emerging K-pop acts in the U.S. within the last year, Nmixx.
“By collaborating with some of the biggest names in K-pop culture, [Coca-Cola] is bringing fans together through innovative experiences that bring to life their special and unique devotion for their favorite artists, and the powerful impact that K-Pop has on culture,” said Jung Hyun Kwon, category lead for Japan and Korea at The Coca-Cola Company.
Last month, JYP and all three bands helped launch Coca-Cola’s new flavor—K-Wave Zero Sugar—with the single “Like Magic” and its accompanying video. K-Wave comes in limited-edition cardboard clamshells containing four slim cans, a pack of bubble stickers and a QR code for an invitation-only streaming concert on June 2 featuring Stray Kids, Nmixx and Itzy.
