Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's visit to Korea is bringing an unexpected windfall to the local food industry. As images of Huang eating and drinking in Korea spread beyond the country through foreign media and social media (SNS), sales of related products are rising and brand recognition is growing.
According to convenience store 7-Eleven on the 8th, sales of the snack "Honey Banana-flavored HBM Chip," launched in collaboration with SK hynix with the HBM (high-bandwidth memory) concept, jumped 704% on June 6–7 from the same days a week earlier. In particular, on the 6th, right after Huang handed out the product to citizens, daily sales soared 766% from the same day the previous week. During the same period, searches for HBM chips on 7-Eleven's own application (app) also surged 160 times. A 7-Eleven official said, "HBM chips are a limited-edition product, and we are reviewing whether to produce more."
As for the Binggrae Banana Flavored Milk and Paldo Co.'s Vilac Co. Sikhye that were handed out to citizens, 7-Eleven's daily sales on the 6th rose 12% and 13%, respectively, from the same day a week earlier.
Earlier, on the 5th, at a samgyeopsal restaurant in Hongdae, Mapo District, Seoul, Huang held a so-called "sam-ssŏ (samgyeopsal + soju) gathering" with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. Afterward, he visited BBQ Hongdae Entrance branch, enjoyed Golden Olive Chicken and draft beer, and handed out HBM chips, banana flavored milk, and Vilac Co. sikhye to citizens. Over the weekend, he was also spotted enjoying Korean food at a knife-cut noodles shop in Namdaemun Market, a samgyetang restaurant in Jongno District, and a Pyeongyang cold noodles restaurant in Euljiro.
Stores Huang visited are now seeing a "pilgrimage" phenomenon. Domestic and international visitors are asking about the seat where Huang sat and the menu he ordered, or coming to take verification photos of his autograph left at the store. According to Genesis BBQ Group (hereafter BBQ), which operates the chicken brand BBQ, sales at the BBQ Hongdae Entrance branch that Huang visited rose more than 20% from the same days a week earlier for June 5–7.
In particular, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 7th, where Huang threw out the first pitch for a pro baseball game, Nvidia ordered 113 boxes of the BBQ menu item "Crunch Boneless Cracker" for a group seating section. A BBQ official said, "We are currently preparing to launch related set menus and promotions (such as the menu he ate with the conglomerate leaders or the items ordered at the ballpark)." This follows a similar pattern to last year, when the Kkanbu Chicken store in Samseong-dong, Seoul, bundled the items ordered by Huang, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun into an "AI set."
Huang's global influence is behind the attention paid to the products he consumed and the places he visited. Foreign media also treated Huang's activities during this Korea trip as major news. Reuters described the visit as Nvidia's "charm push" toward the Korean market and prominently featured his TV program appearance, ceremonial first pitch at a pro baseball game, samgyeopsal gathering with domestic corporations' leaders, and distribution of HBM chips and beverages. As every move of a figure representing the artificial intelligence (AI) industry becomes news, the foods and products he ate and drank naturally gained exposure to global consumers.
A food industry official said, "In the past, companies had to spend a considerable amount to hire globally recognized celebrities as advertising models, but now scenes of influential figures actually consuming products often generate bigger buzz." Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University, said, "When it becomes known what a celebrity eats and where they visit, consumers want to try that experience themselves. The tendency grows especially when it is something they can easily do," adding, "The very process of eating the same menu and visiting the same space becomes an experience, which keeps interest going."