SOUTH KOREA. Lotte Duty Free has unveiled a campaign featuring K-pop superstars aespa to highlight its retail spaces as a key travel touchpoint in Korea.
As reported, the retailer has appointed the fourth-generation girl group to reinforce its celebrity-led campaigns to connect with international shoppers and enhance its K-content marketing.
The campaign was supported by a series of teaser content on Lotte Duty Free’s official social media channels from 20-22 April, incorporating travel elements such as airport flip boards, in-flight announcements voiced by aespa, and handwritten arrival declaration forms by the members.
Themed ‘Trip Lotte Duty Free’, the campaign underscores the retailer’s ambition to position itself as a travel hot spot for international visitors, highlighting its retail offer as a diverse, immersive experience comparable to visiting well-known streets, landmarks and dining destinations.
The campaign is led by one main film and four short videos, each centred on an individual aespa member in the role of a duty-free shopping guide. Karina introduces ‘Bag Street’; Winter presents ‘Beauty Hotspots’; Ningning showcases ‘Jewellery Spots’; and Giselle highlights the ‘Sunglasses Tower’, positioning each as a distinct shopping destination.
Lotte Duty Free also noted its plans to roll out the concept across key locations to drive engagement, introducing themed ‘Episode Zones’ alongside life-size standees of aespa members at its World Tower store in Seoul, as well as Busan and Jeju outlets.
To boost in-store engagement, handprints of each aespa singer will be installed across all downtown locations.
Lotte Duty Free Head of Marketing Namgung Pyo said, “Through this branding campaign with aespa, we aim to position Lotte Duty Free as more than just a shopping space, but as a destination within the Korean travel experience.
“We will continue to actively attract global customers through differentiated marketing leveraging K-content.”
The campaign builds on the retailer’s broader global marketing push to attract international tourists. Earlier this year, it revamped the Star Avenue at its Myeong-dong flagship into an experiential retailtainment space, while expanding its global ambassador line-up to include K-pop groups KickFlip and Hearts2Hearts.
In February, it opened the ‘K-Museum & Gift’ store at its World Tower location, showcasing traditional Korean folk art (minhwa) alongside destination merchandise.
Most recently, it partnered with Seoul’s official mascot Hechi to further enhance its marketing initiatives.
