Hollys Chooses Its First Brand Face After 28 Years: The K-pop Era is Growing in Coffee Chains

Hollys, one of South Korea's established coffee chains, has changed a 28-year-old habit in brand communication.

Founded in 1998, the company has decided to work with a celebrity model for the first time, selecting the five-member K-pop group RESCENE as its brand face. Hollys announced the collaboration on August 18, 2026, and stated that the first advertising campaign featuring the group will be released at the end of the month.

This decision may initially seem like a classic celebrity endorsement agreement. However, it points to a broader change in the South Korean coffee market: coffee chains are now trying to build brand loyalty not only through products, prices, and store networks but also by leveraging the speed of popular culture.

First Brand Face in 28 Years

According to Hollys, the company has never used any artist or celebrity as its main advertising model since its establishment.

When selecting RESCENE, the company highlights the group's rising popularity, positive image, and the engagement it generates among young consumers. South Korean sources report that the group has recently seen a resurgence on music charts and has performed strongly in rookie idol brand reputation rankings.

However, many of these justifications are based on Hollys' own brand narrative. Therefore, the actual sales contribution of the group to the campaign can only be measured with customer, membership, and campaign data in the coming months.

Hollys Already Utilized Collaborations Intensively

This new step is not starting from scratch.

Hollys' current event calendar for summer 2026 includes joint product and seasonal menu campaigns with Vans, membership promotions, and various in-store activities. The brand also employs loyalty tools like the monthly subscription model Hollys Pass.

The RESCENE agreement differs from this structure.

While product or brand partnerships may be limited to a specific season, using a brand face aims for the consumer to remember the brand through a human character.

Thus, the real change lies not in the number of campaigns but in the communication model.

Why is K-pop Attractive for Coffee Chains?

The South Korean coffee market has a high brand density.

A significant portion of the chains competes in similar product categories:

• espresso-based beverages,

• seasonal lattes and iced drinks,

• desserts and bakery,

• membership systems,

• branded merchandise.

In this environment, simply launching new drinks may not be sufficient to differentiate.

K-pop collaborations offer the brand three distinct channels:

digital visibility, store visits, and collectible products.

A collaboration with a group or artist may not be limited to just an advertisement; it can transform into additional products like photo cards, limited-edition cups, merchandise, membership campaigns, or fan events.

Hollys has not yet disclosed all the commercial details of the RESCENE collaboration. Therefore, it is too early to make definitive judgments about which formats will be used.

Competitors are Also Following a Similar Path

Hollys is not the first South Korean coffee chain to venture into this area.

World Coffee Portal previously reported that Ediya Coffee selected actor Byeon Woo-seok as its first brand ambassador in 2024, using him in menus, in-store screens, and digital marketing.

This example is significant because it allows us to interpret the use of celebrity models by chain coffee brands as a trend in the industry rather than a temporary campaign.

Especially among young customers, the choice of coffee shop is not made solely based on product quality. The venue's social media visibility, brand aesthetics, merchandise, and cultural proximity can also be part of the decision-making process.

Brand Ambassador and Product Quality are Separate Issues

The primary risk that operators need to be aware of in such campaigns is the disconnect between communication investment and product experience.

A K-pop collaboration can create a strong reason for the first visit.

However, if the customer:

• finds the order time long,

• has a weak store experience,

• sees the product price as high,

• feels the loyalty program does not generate value,

the celebrity collaboration alone does not guarantee a return visit.

Therefore, the true performance of the brand campaign should be measured not only by social media visibility but also in conjunction with store operations and customer return rates.

How Can Campaign Success be Measured?

For Hollys, looking solely at advertising reach to measure the business impact of the RESCENE agreement would be limited.

More meaningful KPIs could include:

store traffic during the campaign period, number of new memberships, active user rate, attach rate for campaign products, average basket size, return visits, and conversion of social media engagement into sales.

If special merchandise or limited-edition products are released, stock turnover rates can also be monitored.

Without these metrics, the assessment of "the campaign was successful" remains at the level of visibility.

The Balance Between Attracting Young Customers and Brand Aging

Hollys being a 28-year-old brand is significant.

Long-established chains can sometimes be perceived as "parent brands" from the perspective of young consumers. Making new generation artists the brand face is one of the classic methods used to break this perception.

However, balance is also required here.

Refreshing without alienating the existing loyal customer base is an important brand management problem for store chains.

The choice of RESCENE is noteworthy in this regard: Hollys opted for a younger group that is on the rise instead of one of the biggest K-pop stars globally.

This choice may also allow the brand to establish a "growing together" narrative.

What Does This Mean for Coffee Chains in Turkey?

In Turkey, coffee chains are also in intense competition for young consumers.

However, brand collaborations often remain at the level of limited-edition products, influencer campaigns, or social media activities.

The South Korean example shows a more integrated model.

When artist or cultural collaborations are used simultaneously with product development, in-store experience, membership, merchandise, and digital campaigns, they can transform into a stronger commercial system.

The key point here is the alignment of popularity with the brand.

A brand face chosen solely based on a high follower count may create short-term visibility; however, if it does not align with the product, pricing, and store identity, it may not generate lasting brand value.

Stafflink's Perspective

In our view, Hollys' use of a brand face for the first time in 28 years is more significant than just a simple advertising campaign.

Coffee chains are no longer competing solely on the equation of "good coffee + good location." The interest of young customers is also shaped through culture, digital community, merchandise, and brand identity.

However, the real value of K-pop or celebrity collaborations lies not in the reach numbers but in their ability to bring customers to the store and encourage repeat visits.

Therefore, the most critical question for Hollys will not be how much the RESCENE campaign is talked about, but how much store traffic, membership, and revenue per customer change after the campaign.

A brand face can be a strong traffic driver. However, this traffic can only generate sustainable revenue if the operations and product experience deliver value.