Naver Webtoon said on the 22nd that Maru, the protagonist of the popular series "Maru Is a Puppy," will appear as a photo shoot model for the fashion magazine Elle. This is the first time a webtoon intellectual property (IP) protagonist has appeared as an official photo shoot model for Elle Korea.
The photo shoot was planned with hanbok and Lunar New Year as its theme. It includes Maru's solo photos, a virtual interview, and an introduction to collaboration merchandise. To mark Maru's debut as a photo shoot model, Naver Webtoon introduced three merchandise items: a blanket, a tumbler, and a lucky pouch pouch. The items are available through "KakaoTalk Gift." On Feb. 4, a special video featuring Maru's "one-day office experience" episode will be released on the YouTube channel "I Am Maru."
In mid-next month, it will also release a "Cookie Gift Card" using the "Maru Is a Puppy" IP. The Cookie Gift Card is a prepaid card that can be used to top up "cookies," Naver Webtoon's paid content currency, and previous popular IP editions such as "Jjakka" and "Return of the Blossoming Blade" recorded high sales immediately after launch and received a strong response. The "Cookie Gift Card Maru Edition" will be available at GS25 convenience stores.
"Maru Is a Puppy," which began serialization in June 2022 and concluded in Nov. 2024, is a case that successfully expanded its IP after completion through derivative works, pop-up stores, and brand collaborations. In Nov. last year, it was presented as an animation through the animation over-the-top (OTT) service Laftel.
Nam Gyeong-bo, head of IP business at Naver Webtoon, said, "This collaboration expanded the activity of webtoon IP to fashion photo shoots, powered by the steady support of the fandom even after the series ended," adding, "We will continue to build an IP business ecosystem where webtoon characters can meet fans at various points in daily life and continually gain vitality."