'Samgim-i' and 'Friends'... Convenience Store Character Battle

Videos and Goods Featuring the Worldview
Expansion of Online and Offline Content

GS25 Samgimi and Friends characters.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The convenience store industry is focusing on prominently featuring brand characters to expand their own products and online and offline content. They believe that utilizing characters in promotions can build a differentiated image and lay the groundwork for new businesses using intellectual property (IP) in the future.

On the 28th, GS25 operates a character called ‘Samgimi and Friends.’ Samgimi is a character shaped like a triangular gimbap, with friends representing hot bar snacks, boiled eggs, ramen, and more. On the official YouTube channel, you can find content featuring convenience store episodes experienced by Samgimi and friends, which has gained great popularity with over 1 million cumulative views. At the end of last month, GS25 released 3,333 Samgimi non-fungible token (NFT) artworks using a generative art method. Currently, a giveaway event is underway on the GS25 application (app), with cumulative participants reaching 200,000.

CU Friends characters.

CU has revamped its existing brand characters as ‘CU Friends’ and is expanding their universe. CU Friends include the friendly and energetic part-timer Haru, the closest friend Pet Box Shairu, the spy Kairu who uncovers CU’s secrets, and CU enthusiast Siwoo. This month, a webtoon series introducing CU Friends characters is being sequentially released on the official Instagram, and there are plans to launch video content and merchandise featuring the CU Friends universe in the future.

Seven Eleven sells over 70 private brand (PB) products featuring official characters ‘Buni’ and ‘Barbara.’ Buni is a character shaped like a polar bear, symbolizing that Seven Eleven’s origin traces back to the ice factory of the Southland company in the United States in 1927. Barbara is a character representing the convenience store’s signature product, triangular gimbap. Emart24 is actively using the ‘Wondungi’ character, the store manager of Hwaseong branch, in its marketing.

A convenience store industry official said on the 28th, "By utilizing our own characters to carry out online and offline marketing, we will create a differentiated brand image," adding, "We also plan to offer customers a unique experience through storytelling content in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.