Member Jennie of the K-pop group BLACKPINK recently ended her model contract with the eyewear brand Gentle Monster, and images of her wearing the competitor Ray-Ban's products have sparked a strong reaction among fans and consumers. Jennie's "choice" may extend beyond Gentle Monster and Ray-Ban to the marketing competition of big tech companies developing smart glasses. Notably, Ray-Ban continues to collaborate with Meta, which holds the top position in the smart glasses market, so the partnership between Google and Samsung Electronics could be a variable for the success of new products.
On the 4th, Jennie posted multiple photos of herself wearing Ray-Ban products on her Instagram, mentioning the company with the hashtag #rayban. Ray-Ban recently opened its first brand pop-up store in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, and held a commemorative event on the 4th. Jennie, who attended the event, appeared wearing the Ray-Ban sunglasses 'Wayfarer Puffer Black.' Typically, when a brand and model have a contract, the model does not publicly showcase products of competitors, leading the industry to expect that Jennie's contract with Gentle Monster has ended.
Jennie has been a model for Gentle Monster, which started in Korea in 2011, and has played a significant role in elevating the brand to a global position. Thanks to Jennie, Gentle Monster received an investment of 60 billion won from LVMH and experienced success. The products that Jennie advertised have been selling like hotcakes worldwide under the name 'Jennie Sunglasses.' Gentle Monster's parent company, IAI Combine's revenue last year was approximately 789.1 billion won, with overseas sales accounting for 38% of that.
Google also invested 145 billion won in Gentle Monster in June, becoming a shareholder with a 4% stake. At the time, the industry speculated that Google made the investment to further strengthen mutual cooperation with Gentle Monster in the smart glasses sector. In May, Google revealed plans to release smart glasses developed in collaboration with Gentle Monster at its developer conference. The partnership agreement stated that Samsung Electronics would handle the hardware while Gentle Monster would take care of the design, alongside the launch of Android XR, the dedicated operating system for the smart glasses.
However, as Jennie's brand contract, which is the core of Gentle Monster's popularity, has ended, it appears to impact the promotional strategies for smart glasses from Google and Samsung. Although Gentle Monster collaborates with global stars from Son Heung-min to Tilda Swinton, the formula 'Gentle Monster = Jennie' has strongly established itself among the younger generation. Moreover, the Ray-Ban, which Jennie wore, continues to collaborate with Meta, which is already partnering with them as the leader in the smart glasses market. Meta maintains a dominating share of 73% of the global smart glasses shipments.
It has not been confirmed whether Jennie has signed an exclusive contract with Ray-Ban. Some speculate that Karina, a member of the K-pop group aespa, may become the new face of Gentle Monster. However, as big tech companies plan to launch smart glasses starting next year, the separation between Jennie and Gentle Monster appears to be a boon for Meta. The release date for the collaborative products between Google, Samsung Electronics, and Gentle Monster has not yet been disclosed. Apple is developing smart glasses targeting a late next year launch.