SOUTH KOREA. Lotte Duty Free hosted an exclusive fan meeting with K-pop superstar band Super Junior on Saturday (12 August) to promote South Korea as a tourist destination and attract Japanese travellers. The event, which took place at Roun Atrium Art Hall in Seoul, was also a celebration of the summer holidays.
Popularly known as the ‘King of Hallyu (Korean wave)’, Super Junior has served as Lotte Duty Free ambassadors since 2013. The retailer lauds the group for their contribution to its brand value by participating in a string of major events. Super Junior starred in the 31st Lotte Duty Free Family Concert and graced the opening ceremony of its store at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.
Saturday’s event marks the second global fan invitation meeting organised by the retailer this year, following an appearance by Twice in February.
The company has lined up an array of promotional events and shopping campaigns to help further boost an increasing number of Japanese shoppers at Lotte Duty Free stores. Sales to Japanese customers in the second quarter increased by about +57% compared to the preceding quarter.
For the Super Junior event, the retailer partnered with domestic and foreign travel agencies to attract Japanese tourists.
Before attending the fan event, the tourists went shopping at the Lotte Duty Free flagship in Myeong-dong and the World Tower store, also in Seoul. The most popular items among them band members were Korean cosmetics and fashion brands.
During the two-hour fan event, Super Junior performed hit songs such as ‘Devil’, ‘Callin’ and ‘House Party.’ Other highlights included interaction with the audience, picture taking, games and commemorative gifts.
In addition, Lotte Duty Free Shop has sequentially released three videos of the campaign, “Living in the Lotte Duty Free Zone – bigger than the airport,” through its official social media platforms.
The campaign video shows Super Junior members enjoying duty free shopping with a variety of benefits at online and downtown shops.
Lotte Duty Free Marketing Division Head Roh Jae-seung said: “Lotte Duty Free is holding various K-content events such as fan meetings and concerts to attract tourists.”
The company prides itself as a “leader in K-culture marketing”, a concept that combines tourism and entertainment. Lotte Duty Free has consistently produced and presented K-content over many years, including concerts, web dramas and fan meetings with Hallyu stars.
The Lotte Duty Free Family Concert has attracted 1 million domestic and foreign visitors since it was launched in 2006. The event was cancelled in physical form during the pandemic but resumed in June this year.
As reported, around 30,000 people attended the three-day event, including an estimated 5,000 foreign visitors from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the US and Europe. ✈
