Liquor brands are racing to team up with star chefs. Recently, LOTTE Chilsung Beverage tapped chef Anh Sung-jae as the ad model for its beer Kloud Non-Alcoholic, while Belgium's Stella Artois, imported by OB, appointed chef Kwon Sung-jun as its Korea ambassador (promotional model). The strategy goes beyond simple celebrity ads, leveraging chefs' credibility and expertise to strengthen the beer's taste and quality image.
According to the industry on the 23rd, LOTTE Chilsung's Kloud Non-Alcoholic uses a process that limits alcohol formation during fermentation by using a special yeast. It does not go through an artificial alcohol-removal step. Non-alcoholic beer is generally considered tasteless because removing alcohol takes away the beer's flavor as well. By using special yeast, there is no such process, so even non-alcoholic beer does not lose its taste and aroma.
Emphasizing these characteristics, LOTTE Chilsung launched Kloud Non-Alcoholic in January under the slogan "the complete-form non-alcoholic beer." It is interpreted that a culinary professional—especially chef Anh, who showed the pursuit of flawless expertise in the Netflix program Culinary Class Wars—was deemed suitable as the ad model to complete this slogan. A LOTTE Chilsung official said, "Together with perfectionist chef Anh Sung-jae, we plan to communicate the value of the complete-form non-alcoholic beer Kloud Non-Alcoholic and strengthen consumer touchpoints through various channels."
Stella Artois appointed chef Kwon, the winner of Culinary Class Wars, as its ambassador. It then unveiled a limited-edition package, the Gourmet Chalice Napoli Mafia Edition, and on the 9th, chef Kwon attended Stella Artois' global event Let's Do Dinner in New York as Korea ambassador. Stella Artois said, "Chef Kwon is a brand ambassador who aligns with our philosophy of pursuing the highest value," adding, "Chef Kwon, who adheres to strict standards and principles in cuisine, was deemed to fit the brand value that always pursues the highest standard of quality."
Golden Blue International joined hands with chef Lee Yeon-bok and, in May and this month, ran two YouTube pieces introducing menus that pair well with Kavalan, the Taiwanese single malt whisky imported by Golden Blue. In the first collaboration video, it introduced Kavalan Classic and the Kavalan Highball Whisky Soda as pairings that go well with sweet-and-sour pork, and this month it presented a spring roll recipe paired with Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask.
◇ Reflecting the trend of valuing food that pairs well with alcohol
These collaborations are helping expand liquor as part of the gastronomic experience. Among consumers, the tendency to value the combination of food and alcohol is growing. Which beer or wine accompanies a restaurant meal determines its caliber, and alcohol consumed with food has come to account for a large share of spending. By putting chefs forward as models, liquor brands convey to consumers that "this product's taste has been verified," and chef-recommended pairings serve as a trustworthy guide for consumers. They are more persuasive than ads featuring general entertainers.
In fact, according to last year's Korea food trend survey by market research firm Innova Market Insights, Korean consumers considered taste and flavor the most important factor across all food categories when making purchase decisions, while many also sought premium experiences. The same applies to beverage choices. The term "premium" is most likely to capture consumers' attention.
Innova Market Insights said, "Korean consumers also showed higher levels than the global average when it came to purchasing liquor," adding, "Consumers are more willing to invest in experiencing quality over quantity, unique tastes, and aromas."
An industry official said, "In the premium liquor market, brand differentiation is not easy, so packaging, formats, taste, brand identity, and storytelling are becoming increasingly important," adding, "As 'experience' grows in importance in the gastronomy and liquor markets, content combined with a chef's storytelling leaves consumers with the impression of 'a special product prepared by the brand.'"