BTS’s Jin Named “Advertising Genius Idol” No. 1 in Global Brand Recruitment Race

BTS’s Jin has demonstrated his overwhelming brand power by being recognized as an “advertising genius idol.” From July 29 to August 7, Forbes Korea conducted a poll in collaboration with the global fan community platform IdolChamp under the theme “Which Forbes-Selected Advertising Genius Idol Sparks the Most Purchase Desire?” Jin secured first place with an impressive 43.83% of the votes. That same month, he also won the “Entertainment Star of the Year (Male)” award at the “2025 Brand of the Year” ceremony, winning in the male entertainment star category based on public voting held from June 30 to July 13. The Netflix original variety show “Dae Hwanjang Gi Anjang,” in which Jin is a regular guest, was selected as the winner in the OTT variety category. Its first season, released in April, ranked first among South Korea’s top 10 series and sixth among global non-English top 10 series despite Netflix’s dominance by dramas. Currently, Jin serves as a global ambassador for French high jewelry brand FRED, Italian luxury brand Gucci, Amorepacific’s global beauty brand LANEIGE, American luxury activewear brand Alo Yoga, and Dolby, covering fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries across the board. Additionally, he exerts influence in the food industry as a model for Dongwon F&B’s “Dongwon Tuna” and Oottogi’s “Jin Ramyun.” Jin’s advertising impact is also backed by concrete figures. The American beauty and fashion media outlet WWD reported that “the news of Jin becoming an Alo Yoga ambassador generated $3.6 million in media exposure value within just 24 hours” and stated that “a single of Jin’s Instagram posts is valued at $1.2 million.” Gucci’s post announcing Jin as its ambassador received the most likes in the account’s history, surpassing even a previous post by Harry Styles. French high jewelry brand FRED selected Jin as its global ambassador for the first time in 88 years since its founding. The Pose 10 Iconic necklace worn by Jin, worth 134.6 million won, along with a bracelet worth 37.5 million won and earrings worth 17.2 million won, were all sold out instantly, causing the official website to crash due to overwhelming traffic. In the food industry as well, Jin’s advertising effects are evident. After hiring Jin as the model for Jin Ramyun in 2022, Oottogi’s U.S. branch saw its overseas sales increase by 19.2% compared to the previous year. Once hailed as a “complete idol,” Jin continued to build a strong following by developing his own unique narrative in variety shows, capturing viewers’ hearts with his distinctive manners and witty remarks even during his appearance on JTBC’s “Please Save My Refrigerator.”