Paris Baguette and SK Telecom Expand K-Entertainment Boom Through Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” Collaboration

Netflix’s popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” is expanding beyond mere video content by being adapted into products across various industries such as bakeries and telecommunications companies. This serves as a clear example of K-entertainment’s global influence reaching even the real economy. On the 2nd, Paris Baguette announced an official collaboration with “KPop Demon Hunters,” planning to release bread and cakes inspired by the film’s characters in phases. Five products will be launched on the 12th, including the “Soda Pop Cake,” “Golden Butter Bun,” “Cheese Soft Time,” “Paba Dried Fruit Pound,” and “Jeju Mugwort Omegi Bread.” Pre-orders for the “Soda Pop Cake” and “Paba Dried Fruit Pound” were available from the 2nd to the 9th through the Paba app and Happy Order app. Snack cakes such as the “Golden Soborubun” and “Lucky Red Bean Bread” will be added on the 17th, followed by products like the “Moist Golden Banana Cake,” “Moist Pink Strawberry Cake,” “Paba Medicinal Tea Tiger,” and “Paba Mugwort Rice Cake” on the 24th. Cakes inspired by “Huntrix” and ones that vividly depict “The Phi” are also in preparation. Paris Baguette intends to enhance the in-store experience by covering the exteriors of its major flagship stores, including those in Gwanghwamun, Yangjae, Pangyo’s “Lab of Paris Baguette,” Incheon Airport’s “Landmark” and “Cafe Sinsa,” and Jeju’s “Dongwa Village,” with images of the film’s characters and collaboration products. A variety of campaigns will be launched across both online and offline channels. Meanwhile, SK Telecom also opened its flagship store “T Factory Seongsu” on the 5th, themed around “K-entertainment.” This new location, established in Seongsu-dong after closing “T Factory Hongdae” in February, covers an area of 650 pyeong—about 2.6 times larger than the Hongdae branch. T Factory Seongsu offers 11 types of interactive experiences, including AI interactive art, concerts and talk shows, and pop-up stores. The main exhibition on the first floor is conceptually based on the new entertainment company “T Ent.”,” allowing visitors to experience what it’s like to be a trainee and eventually debut. The experience follows this sequence: trainee registration → training process → result verification → contract signing → profile shooting, with “trainee number badges” provided at registration to boost immersion. On the second floor, visitors can try the “AI Fortune Photo” experience, which uses facial analysis and AI technology to display the visitor’s zodiac sign on a media wall based on the shape of their hand, as well as the “AI Touch Light” feature. In a separate section, there is the “The Archive,” a brand story area that reinterprets SK Telecom’s key history, showcasing its journey from the world’s first commercialization of CDMA to the release of AI agents. “KPop Demon Hunters” is an animated film released by Netflix in June that has now ranked first in Netflix’s all-time cumulative viewing ratings. Its original soundtrack has also dominated various music charts on platforms like Billboard and Spotify, earning explosive popularity worldwide.