Earning yourself a solo endorsement and CF deal is one way an idol knows they've made it. Most brands go for the most popular faces in the industry and pay them a hefty amount to be the face of their brand, as they look for people who are influential enough to help boost sales. Here are K-Pop's current CF queens who can cause anything they touch to sell out with their amazing selling power.
1. BLACKPINK's Jennie
Jennie scored her first-ever CF deal in 2018 when she became the ambassador of Chanel Korea in June of that year. She previously modeled for Chanel Korea Beauty in January for Harper Bazaar Korea. In 2019, South Korean luxury brand Hera announced that Jennie would be their new model due to her elegant and luxurious image. In February 2020, she was selected by KT Corporation as the new face of Samsung Galaxy S20 Aura Red, also known as "Jennie Red". In June 2020, Jennie was announced as the brand endorser for Lotte Confectionary's latest snack product, "Air Baked", and was selected for being the trendiest artist in the industry.
2. IU
IU is one of the highest-earning celebrities in Korea, and a big chunk of that is thanks to her endorsing numerous brands, from electronics to cosmetics. She scored her first CF in 2010 as the face of Crown Confectionery's MyChew candy, as well as Crown Bakey and clothing brand Y'sb.
She was also the face of Samsung Anycall and Samsung Galaxy S II for Samsung Electronics in 2010. She also endorsed and model for clothing brands Unionbay Sportswear and Le Coq Sportif. The idol has filmed commercials for SK Telecom, Namyang Diary's Yogurt Bulgaris, S-Oil, and Homeplus. She has also been the face of Korean fast-food restaurant chain Mexicana Chicken since 2011. In 2012, she became the endorsement model for G by Guess. She has also appeared in CFs for cosmetics brand The Saem and popular Korean instant ramen Nongshim Shin Ramyun.
In 2014, IU was featured in a commercial for the Chinese beauty brand Qdsuh. That year, she was also announced as the spokesmodel for Hite Jinro's Chamisul soju. From 2014-2015, IU was the face of SBenu footwear. In 2015, she was selected as the face of cosmetics brand ISOI.
3. Red Velvet's Irene
In 2018, Irene became the face and female ambassador of the French athleisure brand Eider. That same year, she was selected as the new face of Korean soju brand Chamisul, replacing IU as the face of the brand. In 2020, Irene became the first-ever Asian brand ambassador for Damiani, an Italian luxury jewelry brand. In March 2020, Irene became the new face and ambassador for high-end beauty brand Clinique in South Korea and across the Asia Pacific.
4. Suzy
Suzy is a seasoned CF queen, having endorsed brands since 2011! If we were to name all of the brands this CF queen has endorsed, it would take up your whole day. Some of the notable brand Suzy has been the face for including Reebok, Super Mario Bros 2, Smart Uniform, Canon Camera, Domino's Pizza, SK Telecom Samsung Galaxy Pop, Swarovski, The Face Shop, Vita500, SPRITE, Nescafe, Hi-Mart, Guess, Chum Churum, Fendi, Lancome, and Dashing Diva.
Dubbed as the "Nation's First Love", it is no surprise Suzy is one of the most sought-after endorsers in South Korea. In 2013, she made more than 10 billion won with more than 14 endorsement deals alone. She has endorsed everything from snacks to cosmetics.
5. Chungha
Chungha's first-ever endorsement deal was back in 2017 with Nike alongside Amber Liu and May J Lee. Since then she has endorsed Umbro, Muzak Ifne, and Lews Town's contact lenses. She is also endorsing Lotte Liquor's own alcohol named "Chungha". She is also the face of Guljak Topokki Chicken restaurant. On top f that, the idol has endorsed video games Sudden Attack and Bosslave, as well as LG Corporation's mobile service U+5G.
In 2019, Chungha was selected as Clinique's global ambassador. That same year, she was selected as Sprite Korea's new model and face for their Summer 2019 Dive in Sprite Campaign.
6. MAMAMOO's Hwasa
In 2018, Hwasa was selected as the ambassador for the outdoor brand The North Face. That same year, she was selected as Lotte Crunky Gold's first female model since 1984. In 2019, Hwasa was selected as the new model for Coca-Cola's iced tea brand Gold Peak Tea. In April of that year, she was selected as the muse for cosmetics brand Rarekind. In November, she was chosen as the new model for Everland Caribbean candy. That same month, it was announced that Hwasa was the newest model for their Jjamppong instant noodles.
In 2020, Hwasa teamed up with The Sims 4 for a CF. She is also the ambassador for sports brand Adidas. In April 2020, she became Kiss New York's latest muse due to her sensuous and charming personality.
7. AOA's Seolhyun
Like Suzy, Seolhyun is a veteran in the CF game. Ever since she went viral for her amazing body, figure, and outstanding visuals, she has received many love calls from brands asking her to be their new brand ambassador. With that, she has been active in the CF game since 2015. She has endorsed numerous brands such as Chicken Mania, SK Telecon, SPRING, Ellesse, Acuvue, Gmarket, Biotherm, Dashing Diva, Nongshim Chapagetti, and GLAM.D.
8. Apink's Naeun
After Naeun went viral for her appearance in PSY's "New Face" video, her popularity boosted, and she started receiving numerous love calls from bands to be their new muse or endorsement model. Since then, Naeun has snagged numerous modeling gigs and CF deals. Some notable brands that Naeun has promoted include Sprite, Joeun Day soju, Periera, and Calobye.
9. Girls' Day Hyeri
Following Hyeri viral aegyo from "Real Man" and her success from the drama Reply 1988 has led the idol to become one of South Korea's most in-demand CF queens in South Korea. In 2016 alone, she shot over 30 advertisements for big-name deals such as Puma, Ghana (chocolate), Bohae, and Amour Pacific. She allegedly earned 10 billion won alone from just those ads.
The idol usually appears in cute and quirky advertisement videos, matching the personality she went viral for.
