Collaboration

Making the
Unfamiliar Familiar

Character Collaborations Lower
the Hurdle Between Consumers and Brands

Why Do We Respond to Characters?

How did the collaboration between JW Anderson and ¡°Hany¡± become so popular even before the product was released? While there are various reasons why, the biggest reason is because of the rarity of character-themed products. When a brand and a character join hands, they create a limited-edition product. Essentially, the item becomes something not to be missed by both fans of the character and the brand.

The rise of the ¡°kidult¡± phenomenon has also contributed greatly to the success of character collaborations. Industry analysis suggests that consumers¡¯ desire for products that remind them of their childhood is growing as people have come across depressing or dreary news through the media in recent years. Naturally, then, companies have made it their strategy to collaborate with comic or animation characters because they best remind consumers of their childhoods.

Successful Character Collaborations

The sky is the limit for character collaborations. Since its collaboration with Fujifilm in 2019, DDOONG RANG, a Muziktiger character loved by many in Korea, has been part of collaborations across many different industries, from clothing, cosmetics and cellphone accessories, to food and beverages, electronics, cars, and even luxury brands. Sticky Monster Lab, beloved for its unique characters, has collaborated with global brands such as Nike, IKEA and MTV.

Character collaborations have recently gone beyond just decorations on products to using their familiarity among consumers to promote consumer items. Loopy, a character in the animation series ¡°Pororo,¡± is one example of this. Loopy was originally an animation character targeted at children; however, the character gained a massive following among the MZ generation following its use in a wide variety of memes online. Bulgari, a luxury jewelry brand, made the surprising move of turning Loopy into its ¡°guest ambassador¡± for the first half of 2022. Currently, Loopy attends Bulgari events in Korea and abroad and is widely seen on digital platforms, such as in digital pictorials and in interviews with fashion magazines.

Collaboration Is a Win-win for Everyone

Character collaborations can be seen in a wide-range of industries. What kind of impact are these collaborations having? Muziktiger representative revealed the reason why character collaborations are so popular: ¡°Characters lower the hurdle between brands and customers. That¡¯s because even brands that lack popularity among consumers can draw attention when they join hands with familiar characters. The characters themselves also benefit by expanding their audience base because linking up with international brands can attract international fans. DDOONG RANG recently conducted a collaboration with Casetify, which greatly increased the number of its international fans.¡±

Gone is the era when characters were seen just in comics or animated films. Characters have jumped out of our screens to find their place on our clothes, food packaging, and even the stationary we buy. Their foothold is expected to expand even more in the future. That¡¯s the power of characters: they turn the unfamiliar into the familiar.