Netflix Animated Film “KPop Demon Hunters” Expands Merchandising Partnerships with Everland and E-Tion

Netflix’s globally popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” is aggressively expanding the commercialization of its universe through collaborations across various sectors such as theme parks, fashion, and food. Everland will open a “KPop Demon Hunters” themed zone on the 26th. Located in the Festival Content Zone, this themed area will display key footage from the film and popular OST tracks on large LED screens throughout the day. Visitors can take unique photos at various photo zones, including character illustrations, life-sized cutouts, and a large art installation featuring the tiger character “Duffy.” The themed zone will remain open until the end of the year.

The experience zones within the themed area are organized by character group. In the “HUNTR/X” experience zone, visitors can play airplane shooting games and mole games that recreate scenes where Rumi, Mira, and Joy fight off evil spirits from an airplane, as well as take selfies at the “Golden Performance Photo Zone” set against a golden ring backdrop. The “Saza Boys” experience zone offers activities such as matching lyrics to the OST of “Soda Pop” and playing a soul-offering game where visitors roll balls into targets within a set time limit. Visitors can also capture commemorative photos at the “Your Idol Performance Photo Zone.” In addition, there are various other offerings, including a clumsy challenge imitating Duffy and a dance rhythm game where players step to the beats of hit songs from both groups.

The Snackbuster restaurant near the Festival Content Zone will transform into a “Saza Boys’ Favorite Snack Shop,” serving K-Korean snack dishes such as ramen and kimbap. Special menu items reflecting the personalities of the two rival groups from the film—such as the “HUNTR/X” set, “Saza Boys” set, and “Soda Pop” drink—will be available, along with food trucks offering unique snacks. The “KPop Demon Hunters” merchandise shop, themed after a subway station, will gradually introduce 38 limited-edition items exclusive to Everland, ranging from character-themed souvenirs like keychains, magnets, and cushions to costume dolls of “Panda x Duffy” and embroidered hats of Duffy. A dressing room is also available where visitors can draw ghost patterns on their faces or borrow costumes such as underworld messenger robes, hats, and idol stage outfits to transform into their favorite characters.

E-Tion, the casual fashion brand under Samsung C&T Fashion, will release collaboration products with “KPop Demon Hunters” on the 26th. The first batch of products includes short-sleeve and long-sleeve T-shirts, hoodies, and beanies, featuring designs based on the “HUNTR/X,” “Saza Boys,” and the crow character “Seo Si.” Some of the lettering graphics were newly developed with E-Tion’s unique style and Korean elements, particularly a graphic that creatively combines the English letters of “Saza Boys” with Korean characters. The first batch of products will be sold at E-Tion stores in Myeongdong, Hongdae입구역, and Everland, as well as on the online shopping platform SSF Shop, where purchases can begin at 10 a.m. The second batch of products will be released at major stores by the end of October, with a pop-up store scheduled to open in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, in November.

Go Hee-jin, head of E-Tion’s business division at Samsung C&T Fashion, said, “We pursued this collaboration so that countless fans can enjoy fashion infused with the universe of ‘KPop Demon Hunters.’ We also plan to carry out various activities to establish E-Tion as a leading K-fashion brand among domestic and international customers.” These collaborations appear to be driven by the film’s global success, including its ranking as Netflix’s most-watched content of all time and its OSTs dominating both Billboard’s main single and album charts in the United States. Everland and E-Tion are pursuing a strategy to enhance brand value by leveraging the film’s popularity through experiential and merchandise-based marketing to attract more fans.