As soon as the Netflix original variety show "Culinary Class Wars: Cooking Class War Season 2 (hereafter Culinary Class Wars 2)" was released, retailers began rolling out collaboration products one after another. That is because collaboration items sold out in a streak during Season 1, cementing the formula that "content equals sales." With competition intensifying to secure chefs and recipes early, retailers and food companies are rushing to collaborate with the appearing chefs even before the winner is announced.
According to the retail and food industries on the 30th, collaborations with the appearing chefs have continued mainly at convenience stores and cafes following the release of Culinary Class Wars 2. While collaborations for Season 1 ramped up in earnest after the program ended, Season 2 has seen pre-release collaborations even before the winner announcement.
Convenience stores moved first. Emart24 signed an exclusive advance contract with "silver spoon" appearing chef Son Jong-won and, starting on the 26th of last month before the broadcast, introduced boxed meals, kimbap and sandwiches. Starbucks launched a limited "Barbecue Two-Cut Beef Sandwich" at select stores earlier this month in collaboration with "dirt spoon" appearing chef Yoo Yong-uk, head of the Barbecue Research Institute. Despite the steep price of 14,500 won, it sold as much as five times more than existing popular sandwiches. As it sold out every lunchtime, the number of stores selling it was expanded from five to 10.
CJ CheilJedang, which provides the dedicated pantry used by the appearing chefs on the program, plans to roll out products co-developed with chefs and their recipes going forward. Maeil Dairies Co. is also reportedly reviewing the launch of collaboration products with appearing chefs.
This race for speed stems from lessons learned through Culinary Class Wars 1. CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, launched "Chestnut Tiramisu" with winning chef Kwon Sung-jun right after the season ended and sold a cumulative 2.5 million units. Lotteria's "Napoli Mafia Mozzarella Burger," launched in collaboration with Chef Kwon, recorded cumulative sales of 6 million and was added as a regular menu item.
Mom's Touch's "Edward Lee Thigh Burger," a collaboration with Season 1 runner-up Chef Edward Lee, also sold out 30 minutes after preorders began. Lotte Mart's "It's Me Series" beef grilling products, created in collaboration with Chef Choi Kang-rok, sold more than 120,000 units within three months of launch.
The industry views the Culinary Class Wars series as a reliable intellectual property (IP) and is choosing a pre-investment strategy. The narrative built by blind evaluations and a survival format is seen as stirring viewers' desire to cheer on contestants, naturally leading them to purchase products that carry a chef's story.
A food industry official said, "The success formula shown by Culinary Class Wars is that feelings for one's 'one pick (the single favorite among multiple candidates)' while watching the show translate into purchases," adding, "There's a growing belief that missing the timing early in the broadcast reduces effectiveness, so even before the program ends, more pre-release collaborations are happening."
In particular, some in the industry say that if Season 1 broadened interest in Korean food, Season 2 is strengthening the path from content to purchase. The goal is to target global viewers and push overseas expansion of K-food.
A retail industry official said, "Culinary Class Wars 2 is so popular that it ranks among the top shows in 93 countries where Netflix operates," adding, "From the perspective of positioning and brand awareness in overseas markets, pre-release collaborations are inevitably attractive."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor in the Department of Consumer Science at Inha University, said, "To ensure collaboration products don't end as a 'flash in the pan,' planning and research and development with long-term sales in mind are necessary," adding, "If the taste and story of collaboration products continue to be shared online and on social media after the broadcast, the K-food market can also expand."