Starbucks teams up with Blackpink, betting on the power of K-pop
Blackpink performing at the Coachella music festival in April in Indio
By Michelle Toh, CNN
Hong Kong (CNN) — Starbucks is teaming up with Blackpink, one of the world’s hottest musical acts.
The prolific girl group, known for legions of fans across the globe who call themselves “Blinks,” announced a tie-up Thursday with the world’s biggest coffee chain to introduce a new beverage and line of merchandise.
The centerpiece of the lineup is the Blackpink Strawberry Choco Cream Frappuccino, a drink that is an aptly hued blend of black and pink.
It is made of a mix of strawberry syrup and dark chocolate sauce with oat milk and chocolate curls, topped with pink whipped cream and a heart-shaped piece of chocolate.
It’s expected to roll out at select outlets next Tuesday, alongside a collection of Blackpink-themed drinkware and accessories, such as tumblers and keychains.
The line will be sold at 4,500 stores in nine Asian markets, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea and the Philippines, until supplies last.
“We are so thrilled to partner with one of the biggest icons of this generation,” Emmy Kan, president of Starbucks (SBUX) Asia Pacific, said in a statement.
Like other major global brands, Starbucks is leaning into the frenzy around K-pop, hoping that it will translate to a boost in sales.
The company has partnered with Blackpink before, launching a collection of merchandise in Thailand two years ago.
This is the first time they’ve collaborated on a regional scale or developed a menu item, according to Starbucks.
The chain has previously teamed up with BTS, the beloved South Korean boy band.
Blackpink — a quartet of members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — debuted in 2016 and enjoyed a quick ascent to global stardom.
The bestselling group is currently on a world tour. In 2022, the group was named Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year, becoming just the second K-pop group to receive the title.
Such accolades have fueled commercial interest. Western companies from Netflix to Dior are seeking to cash in on the wave of popularity surrounding Korean content and culture.
In recent years, both Blackpink and BTS have partnered with Disney (DIS) for its streaming service as the entertainment giant seeks to win new subscribers.
But in March, industry mogul Bang Si-Hyuk told CNN that despite the buzz around K-pop, he worried about the genre’s commercial growth.
It’s “not as hot in the market as you might perceive,” said Bang, chairman of HYBE, the management agency behind hit bands including BTS and NewJeans. “Being where we are, it is more urgent to increase the exposure.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
