Casio appoints K-pop group ITZY as G-SHOCK's new ambassador

Casio Computer has appointed South Korean girl group ITZY as its official brand ambassador of its G-SHOCK brand’s shock resistant watches. According to a statement by the brand, Casio will be featuring ITZY in advertising visuals as well as a movie in a bid to effectively convey the brand’s worldview as well as to appeal to younger women in particular.

Comprising five members, the girl group has amassed a huge following since its debut in 2019. On Instagram alone, ITZY has 18.4 million followers. Renowned for their breakout songs DALLA DALLA and ICY, the quintet scored one of the biggest Billboard debuts for a new K-pop act and have since bagged multiple hit singles.

On G-SHOCK's YouTube channel, the group announced its appointment as the brand's ambassador, commenting, "All in us! ITZY has become a global ambassador for Casio G-SHOCK! Join us and witness the unstoppable G-SHOCK and ITZY's new look!"  

This is not the first brand that ITZY has worked with. In August last year,Charles & Keith appointed ITZY as its global brand ambassador. The group fronted the brand’s Fall 2022 campaign and the partnership kicked off from 16 August 2022 onwards. The campaign spoke a distinct visual language, confident and commanding – which captured Lula’s high gloss attitude and ITZY’s magnetic presence. A celebration of freedom and authenticity, the girls showed how they remain true to their style. 

The use of K-Pop stars in branding is also not uncommon particularly in this part of the region. Brands such as Atome and Lazada have also in recent times banked on the prowess of South Korean stars to market their products. It is often easy to forget that the K-pop industry only made its entry onto the Billboard album chart in 2018. Considered a breakout year for the industry, according to The Straits Times, the K-pop industry was then estimated to be worth US$5 billion. In 2020, The Straits Times reported that BTS single-handedly brought in US$1.5 billion with its song "Dynamite" for the South Korean economy. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Casio to understand more about its marketing strategies. 

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