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BTS’ Kim Taehyung alongside five other K-pop male idols has been revealed to have generated the highest Earned Media Value (EMV) through brand endorsement activities on social media.
Since 2020, a significant number of K-pop artists have been announced as ambassadors for luxury brands. According to Lefty, a marketing analysis page, EMV is a crucial factor in determining the value of social media endorsement content shared by celebrities and how much attention it receives from the audience.
The top 5 male idols who received the highest engagement resulting in remarkable Earned Media Value in the last four years according to Lefty are:
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- BTS’ Kim Taehyung - 286 Million USD
- ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo - 192 Million USD
- Stray Kids’ Felix - 81 Million USD
- EXO's Sehun and Kai - 62 Million USD
- BIGBANG’s G-Dragon - 55 Million USD
More about BTS’ Kim Taehyung, Cha Eun-woo, and other male K-pop idols’ brand endorsement deals
BTS’ Kim Taehyung
Kim Taehyung has a prominent fan base boasting an impressive following on Instagram with 65 million followers. The K-pop idol was announced as the face of the French luxury house Celine in 2023. He was also announced as the global ambassador of the jewelry brand Cartier the same year. Moreover, after beginning his military service in December 2023, the Layover singer became the face of the South Korean coffee chain called Compose Coffee.
ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo
Korean singer Cha Eun-woo is a part of the K-pop group ASTRO and has also made his name through acting in Korean dramas including True Beauty, My Name is Gangnam Beauty, and many more. The Hey Hello singer is an ambassador for brands like Chaumet, Saint Laurent, Milo Thailand, Skechers, and more. Previously, he was announced as the ambassador of Dior Face in 2023.
Stray Kids' Felix
Stray Kids' The Australian-Korean lead rapper, Felix, was announced as the global ambassador for French luxury brand Louis Vuitton in August 2023. The LALALALA singer has been often seen donning outfits from the label on his social media page. Besides this, Felix is the Asia ambassador for the American clothing brand, Tommy Hilfiger.
EXO's Sehun and Kai
EXO members Sehun and Kai boast 23.1 million followers and 14.3 million followers on Instagram respectively. In 2020, Sehun was announced as the global ambassador of Dior due to his enormous popularity. Sehun has also been a part of Cartier’s Pasha De Cartier digital project. Meanwhile, Kai has been the global ambassador of Italian brand Gucci since 2019 and in 2022 the Rover singer became the ambassador of Yves Saint Laurent Beauty.
BIGBANG's G-Dragon
Second-generation K-pop group BIGBANG’s G-Dragon is known to have campaigned for several brands, however, he's most popular for his ambassadorship for Chanel. Besides this, G-Dragon began his Korean fashion label PEACEMINUSONE in 2016 with Gee Eun. In 2023, he joined forces with Nike to launch an apparel collection.
In other news, BTS’ Kim Taehyung, EXO's Kai, and Sehun are currently serving in the military. Meanwhile, Cha Eun-woo was recently spotted attending the Saint Laurent showcase at the Paris Fashion Week. G-Dragon's ‘Nothing but a ‘G’ Thang: The Art and Archive of G-Dragon’ digital auction was held at the Frieze Seoul 2024 art fair in collaboration with Joopiter.
