Lotte Chilsung Ends Contract with Han So-hee as Soju Brand Model after Just a Year
Lotte Chilsung has terminated its advertising model contract with Han So-hee for the iconic soju brand "Chum-Churum" and is now looking for a new face.
The industry is paying attention to Lotte Chilsung Beverage’s proactive move to terminate the contract before Han So-hee’s dating rumors surfaced.
According to Lotte Chilsung on March 20th, Han So-hee’s contract as the advertising model for the soju brand “Chum-Churum” expired in early March after a year of activity.
A company official stated, “We did not renew the contract (with Han So-hee) after the one-year term ended. The next advertising model is undecided.”
Han So-hee has been the face of “Chum-Churum” since March last year. At the time, Lotte Chilsung explained that Han So-hee was selected as a model considering her active communication with fans through Instagram and other social media platforms.
With Han So-hee’s advertisement for “Chum-Churum” last year, Lotte Chilsung’s soju sales amounted to 404.2 billion won, an increase of 18.5% compared to the previous year. In addition to “Chum-Churum,” the sales of “Saero,” introduced in September 2022, also contributed to overall performance growth.
Changing the advertising model for “Chum-Churum” after a year is the first time in eight years. From 2016 to 2020, Lotte Chilsung appointed Suzy as the model for “Chum-Churum” for five consecutive years. From 2021 to 2022, BLACKPINK’s Jennie took over the role. Esteemed actresses and singers such as Lee Young-ae, Koo Hye-sun, Lee Hyori, HyunA, Jo In-sung, and Shin Min-ah have also advertised “Chum-Churum.”
Recently, Han So-hee admitted to dating actor Ryu Jun-yeol. Han So-hee’s agency stated, “Han So-hee is going through a very difficult time emotionally due to indiscriminate speculative posts and malicious comments being written about her as a person.”
The industry analyzes Lotte Chilsung’s expiration of the advertising contract as a strategic choice. Distributors are indeed sensitive to controversies surrounding advertising models as they directly affect product sales.
For instance, the termination of contracts by retailers like Musinsa and Nepa after actor Yoo Ah-in, who faced investigation for illegal drug use, was appointed as their model reflects a similar context. Alachi Chicken, which used footballer Lee Kang-in as a model, also did not renew the contract amid the discord within the Korean national football team.
In the end, Lotte Chilsung’s decision to terminate Han So-hee’s contract has relieved some pressure, especially considering the awkward position caused by the dating news of aespa’s Karina, who is the advertising model for their new product “Krush.”
A retail industry official stated, “Consumers are highly interested in the private lives of advertising models, but companies find it difficult to express their discomfort. The recent trend of shortening advertising model contracts is not unrelated to this.”
