@style | Retail Industry Unveils Collaboration Products with Artists Across Many Fields
@style reported on November 23, 2017 that the retail industry is continuing to release collaboration products with artists across many fields. The article covered in detail how Cafe O'gada's Lunar New Year gift set and Lotte Nestle Korea's Nescafe Supremo each collaborated with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung on a limited-edition gift set and an art tumbler special pack, respectively, alongside other cases including Glaceau Vitamin Water, AmorePacific's Ryo, Seagram, Kiehl's, JINNYKIM and Gmarket.
View full text
Retail Industry Unveils Collaboration Products with Artists Across Many Fields
2017.11.23 THU
[@style, reporter Jeong Su-mi]
(From left) Coca-Cola's 'Glaceau Vitamin Water,' AmorePacific's 'Ryo,' Cafe O'gada's Lunar New Year limited gift set, Coca-Cola's 'Seagram,' Kiehl's 'Calendula Petals Trio Limited Edition,' JINNYKIM's JINNYKIM x Onnu x JUST JINNY collaboration
▶ Collaboration with pop artist Lim Ji-bin, who runs installation-art projects using bear art
The beverage brand Glaceau Vitamin Water released the 'Glaceau Vitamin Water Art Collaboration Edition' with pop artist Lim Ji-bin, known for his 'EVERYWHERE' project of installing giant balloon-bear artworks at landmarks around the world. The edition combines Glaceau Vitamin Water's own bear art, conveying the character of each product, with Lim's signature design to create an original look.
Collaborations with Korean painters have also stood out. Cafe O'gada made headlines earlier this year with a limited-edition Lunar New Year gift set created in collaboration with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung. The pairing brought together the brand image of Kim Hyun Jung, who has popularized Korean painting through social media, and Cafe O'gada, which reinterprets traditional tea in a contemporary sensibility.
AmorePacific unveiled a collaboration product through its shampoo brand Ryo. It partnered with Oriental painter Hong Ji-yoon, known for her 'fusion Korean paintings.' The Ryo shampoo line was given a new look featuring Hong's signature saekdong-flower (traditional rainbow-striped) motif.
There are also products born from collaborations with tattoo artists. The beverage brand Seagram released the 'Seagram X Novo Collaboration Package' with tattoo artist Novo last summer. Cosmetics brand Kiehl's likewise released the 'Calendula Petals Trio Limited Edition' with Novo in June, a design reinterpreting the look of the city and nature in Novo's own style.
Domestic premium designer shoe brands 'JINNYKIM' and 'JUST JINNY' jointly launched their first collaboration collection with well-known nail artist Onnu. The limited edition is characterized by its lovable, kitschy design and range of colors, spanning sneakers with removable Onnu illustration patches, statement faux-fur slippers, and kitsch-style flats.
Gmarket sold a 'Beyond Lotus Aqua Bloom' two-piece set in May, repackaged with an emerging artist's work as part of its 'Artist Collaboration Project,' aimed at discovering promising up-and-coming Korean artists and offering customers sensitively designed products.
Illustrator Cho Ok-kyung, recently drawing attention for her warm illustrations of everyday life's small moments and humor, designed the piece, expressing the feeling of pink lotus flowers blooming like a young woman's blushing cheeks as summer approaches.
An industry source said, "Artist editions born from collaborations between everyday consumer products -- in food and beverage, fashion, and beauty -- and artists let people encounter art easily anywhere, contributing to the popularization of art, while also letting companies add fresh value to their products, making it a win-win that creates synergy for both sides." The source added, "As social media lets artists reach a wider public beyond limited spaces like galleries, more distinctive artists are gaining new attention, and we expect collaborations across an even wider range of fields going forward.
Jeong Su-mi, sumijung@