The power and impact of BTS's Jimin as a brand ambassador: Cases of Samsung, Louis Vuitton, FILA, and Lorina

Having topped the Brand Reputation rankings for individual boy group members for 31 consecutive months and 33 months on aggregate, Jimin is undoubtedly the number one brand ambassador that any company can hope for. Holding such a position means that he is the most marketable male idol in South Korea based on the perception that the general public has of him. As such, any brand that partners which him in any endorsement deals or other forms of collaboration stand to benefit highly. However, his high brand value is not just within his home country. Various instances have served as a demonstration of his brand power outside of the country as well for everyone to witness. 

Recently, Samsung unveiled its latest highly innovative gadget, the #GalaxyZFlip3. BTS are brand ambassadors for the brand and were the models for this product. Of note is that some fans have already pre-ordered this new product, and in a black color specifically, simply because it was the one Jimin was holding in the advertisement. Others are torn on the color to get because Jimin appeared to be holding two different colors in the posted promotional photo and the video clip in the advertisement. Jimin's power to sway consumer purchasing decisions is evident with this product.

Excited for the arrival of my new @SamsungMobile #GalaxyZFlip3!

Couldn’t resist because #JIMIN was holding it!#GalaxyxBTS @BTS_twt https://t.co/O94l1ebeKQ pic.twitter.com/DzrQs411us

— Park Jimin USA 🇺🇸 Slow (@ParkJiminUSA95) August 13, 2021

The same thing happened when Samsung was promoting the #GalaxyS21 and #GalaxyS20 models. Another fan bought the phone along with the buds and the watch, the same items that Jimin showcased in the advertisements put out for the product during that campaign period. 

All these phone models' pricing is on the higher end considering the fact that it is meant to target the mass market. It is priced starting from $1,000 onwards, depending on the region of purchase.

The case was no different for the Louis Vuitton brand, where BTS are also house ambassadors. The high-end luxurious fashion brand held a fashion show in Seoul, where the highlight of the show was BTS. Here, Jimin showcased a silver tote bag from the #LVMenFW21 collection Virgil Abloh, the creative director for men's wear. It is worth mentioning that Jimin was accorded the honor of opening the show, a position that is coveted by all models worldwide due to its importance and the industry endorsement that comes with it. Models who open fashion shows tend to get more opportunities in the industry, and their career progresses very fast. So brands will only allow a model to open their show if they have full confidence in the model to deliver what is expected for the brand. Thus, it was a big deal for Jimin to have this position.

Indeed the brand was not mistaken in making this choice as Jimin's brand power was witnessed right after the show. Some fans, both from South Korea and internationally, posted images of the bag after they had already received it from the brand. It is clear from their posts that they were influenced by Jimin being the model for the bag, thus demonstrating Jimin's impact.

It just got delivered! I’m so happy , this is the first LV bag our LV Frontman modelled for. It is gorgeous.! #JIMIN #PARKJIMIN #박지민 #지민 #방탄소년단지민 #ジミン
PARK JIMIN ジミン Jiminie 💜 @BTS_twt https://t.co/qLM5lPil0g pic.twitter.com/stnR1E9V3i

— Dawn¹³JiminieLove (@DawnieJiminie) July 14, 2021

오후에 성수동 매장에서 데려왔어요
우리 지민이가 든 가방...
넘 예쁘네요 pic.twitter.com/pi3aGNcF2x

— 일랑 (@jEGnyxw0BLsgKzM) July 15, 2021

Another brand where BTS is an ambassador and where Jimin has had a tremendous impact in boosting demand for the products is FILA. After the brand posted its Summer Collection on its official Twitter account, different fans purchased the products that Jimin had in the promotional images, including the bag, the jacket, and the t-shirt. Some of the t-shirt sizes got sold out in record time as the product trended at #2 in real-time sales on the brand's Korean website. Other previous collections also saw fans buying the products because of Jimin, such as the 'Fila Voyager' shirt' among other products. 

우리의 빛나는 여름을 위해
Our summer, better than ever

2021 FILA SUMMER COLLECTION

💜제품 확인 : https://t.co/IjAzGEJKtn#휠라 #FILA #방탄소년단 #BTS #RM #진 #슈가 #제이홉 #지민 #뷔 #정국 #Jin #SUGA #jhope #Jimin #V #JungKook #THISISOURSUMMER #우리의_여름_휠라와_함께 @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/CPXn6hJKqO

— FILA (@fila_korea) June 3, 2021

Я в любви💜💜💜💜💜 в ней 8 карманов!!!!! 8 карманов, куда все помещается🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 ааааахххх💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 это такая слабость моя - сумка через плечо ☺☺☺☺☺ моя первая настоящая #fila 💜💜💜💜💜💜 #BTS #JIMIN #지민 pic.twitter.com/ffUVQeb9Ef

— Olenaroganova1 💜 Jimin (@olenaroganova1) June 9, 2021

Брелков много не бывает🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 #BTS #FILA #FILAxBTS #JIMIN #지민 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 pic.twitter.com/dp3qOAPTqX

— Olenaroganova1 💜 Jimin (@olenaroganova1) June 9, 2021

Gonna get my jimin fila tshirt soon. It’s arrived! Yes!!! 🥰

pic.twitter.com/iFZJmJYqen

— ℳ₁₃ 🍒 E B♡ (@jimiimm) April 15, 2021

The sold out sizes are, as seen on the second image:

▪085
▪110

Here's a full image where you can see the sizes clearly pic.twitter.com/GLUyOhIJVS

— JIMIN DATA (@PJM_data) May 18, 2021

Another example is the case of the French beverage brand 'Lorina.' Before the release of 'Butter,' BTS's management company released some concept clips. In Jimin's individual clip, he had a bottle of sparkling soda from Lorina. Mainly, the drink he had was reddish in color, and soon after the posting of the clips, the drink was sold out on some internet retailers such as Sodapopstop and Walmart. Some fans also posted on social media showing that they had acquired the product after seeing Jimin with it.

Butterのコンセプト グリップでジミンが飲んだフランス飲料LORINAのザクロ ブルーベリー味を早速飲んで見ました😉
炭酸の切れ味も良くて爽やかな香りが
してとっても美味しい😋瓶とギャップもお洒落なのでこの夏にはまりそうですがあっという間に品切れ😃💦#JIMIN  #LORINA @BTS_twt #BTS_Butter pic.twitter.com/ONd5ytrGxG

— ⒷⓄⓇⒶⒽⒺ💜🅑🅣🅢 (@borahe777) May 7, 2021

Jimin is indeed a brand king, and his power and influence are astounding. He is the perfect ambassador capable of promoting sales for any brand, as witnessed, both in terms of the field of operation and the pricing. His impact is high, which explains why he is sought after by various brands, and those that already have him as an ambassador through BTS do acknowledge his impact.