"I Miss Fried Chicken" ... Jensen Huang and Business Leaders' Hongdae Gathering Shakes Up the Industry

[Financial News] The food and beverage industry was thrown into a frenzy of on-site marketing after Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and the heads of major Korean conglomerates made surprise visits to restaurants and a BBQ Chicken store in the Hongik University area of Seoul. In response to the unexpected moves by the global tech heavyweight and the business leaders, liquor and dairy companies sharply increased product shipments around the dining area and rolled out events to maximize brand exposure.
According to the industry on the 5th, Huang, Chey Tae-won of SK Group, Koo Kwang-mo of LG Group, and Lee Hae-jin of Naver held a dinner on the evening of the 4th in the Hongik University area of Mapo District, Seoul. They first met at Hyungnim Jeoyo, a samgyeopsal restaurant, before heading to a nearby BBQ Chicken store for a second round.
The visit to the BBQ Chicken store was an impromptu decision, and Genesis BBQ Group headquarters had not been informed in advance. The original plan had been to visit a karaoke bar, but the group changed course after Huang said in an interview upon arrival in Korea, "I miss fried chicken." They ordered Golden Olive Chicken, one of BBQ Chicken's signature menu items, along with Cass canned beer from OB.
The sudden gathering of the business leaders quickly set the food and beverage industry in motion. HiteJinro proactively supplied its own alcoholic beverages, including Jinro, Terra, and Ilpoom Jinro, to the samgyeopsal restaurant they had visited first. In fact, Terra and Chamisul from HiteJinro were placed on their table.
To mark Huang's visit, Lotte Chilsung Beverage distributed My Label, a product that lets consumers design their own soju labels, to shoppers in the Hongik University commercial district. Instead of Chum-Churum, the labels were customized with phrases such as "Jensen Huang-like" and "NVIDIA-like," and about 1,000 were handed out on site.
Binggrae, which handed out Banana Flavored Milk to reporters and passersby during Huang's visit in October last year, also joined the marketing push. The company increased Banana Flavored Milk shipments by two to three times the usual level at more than four major convenience stores near Hongik University along Huang's route to prepare for demand.
security@fnnews.com Park Kyung-ho Reporter