Kakao Friends expands to Europe with IMG

Korean mobile lifestyle platform company Kakao has associated with IMG to exclusively license its character brand Kakao Friends in Europe.

Originating from South Korea’s leading messenger platform Kakao Talk, Kakao Friends’ characters have gained millions of fans with its charisma and unique personalities. As K-pop culture has become a global phenomenon, Kakao Friends decided to enter Europe markets by launching an European online store to reach its global fans.

Eight Kakao Friends’ characters have already collaborated with some of premium brands such as Louis Vuitton or Nike. There will be approximately 30 Kakao Friends stores opened in South Korea and Japan in the future.

“Having already connected emotionally with millions of fans and aspirational brands, Kakao Friends is a leading K-POP culture export and is powerfully on trend in Europe,” said Matthew Primack, senior vice president of licensing at IMG. “Now is the perfect time for a social and culturally rich lifestyle brand like Kakao Friends to explore new product opportunities that reflect its unique identity and booming popularity.”

Kakao Friends in Europe will primarily feature apparel and accessories, homeware with future extension into additional categories.