ZEROBASEONE Wonju Tour and Hearts2Hearts as KB Kookmin Bank Models to Boost Idol Brand Power

As K-pop idol groups expand their activities both domestically and internationally, these efforts are extending beyond music to boost regional economies and support corporate marketing strategies. Idols are now leveraging their brand power in various fields, serving as regional ambassadors and advertising models for major financial institutions. To promote the “2025–2026 Gangwon Visit Year,” Wonju City is organizing the “National Spark Tour” alongside Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and CJENM (Mnet), with participation from world-renowned K-pop idol groups. The idol group ZEROBASEONE will tour key attractions and the old town area of Wonju, promoting local specialties such as peaches while selling corn at 990 won per unit through a unique promotional approach. Notably, all proceeds from the sales of these specialty products will be donated to Wonju City via a hometown love donation program. This initiative adds significance by not only revitalizing local tourism but also facilitating charitable giving. Wonju City aims to showcase its main tourist spots and specialties through this event, creating compelling visuals to introduce the city to global K-pop fans. The presence of rare K-pop idols in Wonju is expected to stimulate the local economy and generate demand from fan communities seeking pilgrimage visits. Won Ju-gang, the mayor of Wonju City, stated, “This event is a special program to promote the 2025–2026 Gangwon Visit Year and Wonju City nationwide. It provides an opportunity to highlight local specialties and tourist attractions through K-pop. We will continue to pursue promotional activities that combine tourism with popular culture.” Meanwhile, the SM Entertainment idol group Hearts2Hearts has joined KB Kookmin Bank as its new advertising model. By selecting them, KB Kookmin Bank is strengthening its multi-model strategy amid increasing competition in star marketing within the banking sector. The bank has already employed actors Park Eun-bin and Choo Young-woo, as well as the idol group aespa, and this addition to Hearts2Hearts further enhances its model lineup. KB Kookmin Bank launched a teaser event for its new advertising models on its official Instagram account. From the 4th to the 7th, customers who guessed the advertising models based on silhouette photos were entered to win Mega Coffee gift cards through a lottery. Hearts2Hearts will also participate in the “KB Joy Olpark Festival” held at Seoul’s Olympic Park in September. This cultural event, organized by KB Kookmin Bank since 2016, has been held five times to connect with younger customers. In terms of individual brand reputation among new idol groups, Hearts2Hearts’ status is also strengthening. The Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute recently announced that Ian from Hearts2Hearts ranked first in the August 2025 analysis of individual brand reputations among new idols. Ian’s brand scored a total brand reputation index of 316,581, with a participation index of 100,307, a media index of 62,486, a communication index of 88,971, and a community index of 64,817. This represents a 75.37% increase compared to his brand reputation index of 180,524 in July. Won Hee from ILLIT ranked second with a brand reputation index of 252,413, followed by JiYu from LE SSERAFIM with 231,546. Overall, individual brand categories for new idols saw a 20.62% decline compared to 5,099,850 big data entries in July, but Ian’s growth rate stood out significantly. Ku Chang-hwan, director of the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, analyzed that “in the link analysis of Ian’s brand, which ranked first in August 2025, terms like ‘pure,’ ‘pretty,’ and ‘fresh’ appeared frequently. In keyword analysis, terms such as ‘Center beauty,’ ‘Sita,’ and ‘Music Bank’ came up highly.” He added that “the positive-to-negative ratio analysis showed an 87.05% positive rate.” Such activities by idol groups reflect a trend where the mature K-pop industry ecosystem is generating diverse business opportunities. Beyond music, there is an increase in multifaceted activities such as boosting regional economies, serving as advertising models for financial institutions, and participating in cultural events, indicating that K-pop idols have become vital assets of South Korea’s cultural industry.