"Straight up copying"– Netizens debate over KiiiKiii’s debut campaign as accusations of copying NewJeans’ marketing strategy surface

On February 19, 2025, STARSHIP Entertainment’s new girl group, KiiiKiii, launched their social media and surprised fans by dropping their pre-release single, I Do Me. The five-member group—Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum, and Kya—will officially debut on March 24 with their EP, UNCUT GEM.

Their unconventional debut, including a music video release before formal introductions, quickly gained attention, surpassing a million views in hours. However, some have criticized STARSHIP for allegedly copying NJZ’s (formerly NewJeans) marketing strategy.

As KiiiKiii’s sudden launch spread across online platforms, netizens quickly compared their debut rollout to NJZ’s. Fans of NJZ pointed out that their debut in 2022 followed a similar format, where their music video for Attention was released before any teasers or member profiles were revealed.

Further fueling the debate was KiiiKiii’s interactive promotional campaign. Their official website features elements like a virtual map connected to I Do Me’s filming locations, handwritten digital letters from members, and interactive games that let fans engage with their upcoming tracks.

While these features were meant to enhance fan engagement, critics argued that they closely resembled NJZ’s marketing tactics, particularly their debut-era website, which also incorporated digital experiences and a dress-up game. An X user, @waiting__425 wrote,

"all the aesthetic and straight up copying nwjns debut rollout will be meaningless if the song suck , one song from them already sound boring and just typical average kpop song . they will never reach international success ."

Opinions were split during the discussions. Some netizens criticized the group's debut, claiming it closely followed NJZ’s digital marketing approach.

"The problem with smaller companies copying NJZ’s formula is that they fail to create a unique identity for their own artists. Instead of fostering originality, they produce repetitive and uninspiring groups, ultimately harming both the artists and the industry as a whole," an X user wrote.

"NewJeans are blueprints for the whole k-pop 5th generation," another person commented.

"People still choosing to actually believe this group is real fresh group with different unique concept is killing me," a person wrote.

"newjeans and their creative team have been disrespected way too much. especially by BeLift," a netizen added.

Meanwhile, some took a more neutral stance, noting that while the strategy seemed familiar, it was a common concept and had been done before. They claimed that trends can be influenced rather than copied.

"NJZ is a trendsetter, YES, but they are not the first one to do this. GIRL just let the babies grow," a fan added.

"Bro every time an influential group INFLUENCES the industry with their concept, people are so quick to say that they copied. THEY DIDNT! omg it irritates me so bad, it makes all tokkis look bad," another user mentioned.

"i can definitely see kiiikiii using the newjeans base but they’re the first group to reinterpret it in an interesting way (it seems so far), the game really isn’t big of a deal given that the concept of revealing the snippets is online games and dress up is the most popular one," a netizen wrote.

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All we know about STARSHIP’s KiiiKiii, website, members, & more

KiiiKiii is STARSHIP Entertainment’s first girl group in four years, following the success of IVE. The five members—Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum, and Kya—range in age from 14 to 19, with Jiyu taking on the role of leader. Their website, which plays a crucial role in their debut campaign, introduces an immersive experience for fans.

It features interactive elements such as a “Jam Factory” theme, a driving simulation that reveals snippets of their songs, and a styling game that allows users to create KiiiKiii-inspired looks.

The group's pre-release single, I Do Me, was introduced as a bold and confident pop-dance track that reflects their independent spirit. The song and its accompanying music video quickly gained traction, ranking #1 on YouTube’s trending charts in South Korea within 12 hours.

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Despite the controversy, KiiiKiii has generated significant buzz ahead of its debut, solidifying itself as a group to watch in the competitive K-pop industry. They are reported to make an official debut in March 2025.