In recent years, well-known South Korean beauty brands have begun selecting male idols as new faces for their global campaigns.
This reverse marketing approach has emerged due to the massive international popularity of male idol groups.
One of South Korea's leading beauty companies, Amorepacific, recently made headlines after appointing its newest global brand ambassador.
One of the company's well-known cosmetics brands, Hera, recently appointed Felix from the boy group Stray Kids as its newest global brand ambassador, replacing Jennie from BLACKPINK, who had held the position since 2019.
This move follows the company's previous success with its skincare brand, LANEIGE, which last year appointed Jin from the boy group BTS as its model.
Amorepacific reported that following Jin's appointment, LANEIGE's total sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 surged more than 30 percent compared to the same period the previous year.
Many industry observers have noted that selecting male idols with strong appeal among Western female fans can quickly boost a brand's international profile.
Seeing this opportunity, several independent cosmetics brands in South Korea have also begun adopting a similar strategy.
In February 2025, A'PIEU, a color cosmetics line under Able C&C, signed Jeno of the boy group NCT as its brand ambassador.
As a result, the cosmetics brand experienced a 357 percent surge in social media search volume after releasing their latest brand ambassador photoshoot in June.
A company representative explained that Jeno's strong popularity among Gen Z women overseas was a key factor in his selection.
Simultaneously, Mixsoon, a skincare brand from Fakket, appointed boy group ENHYPEN as its global ambassador.
Experts say that model selection can significantly impact a brand's growth in overseas markets.
Lee Young Ae, a professor of consumer studies at Incheon National University, revealed that because women are the primary buyers of cosmetics, featuring male idol groups can be a highly effective way to increase international brand recognition quickly./Source: Allkpop
