K-pop Branding: Exploring NewJeans' Success

NewJeans’ global success in the K-pop industry demonstrates the importance of strategic branding. Min Hee-Jin and the creatives behind NewJeans have crafted every aspect of their brand from narratives, names, and design to style, partnerships, and concept albums. Learn more about their story in this blogpost!

K-pop, known as Korean popular music, dates back to the 90s and has become increasingly globalized since 2018 due to the emergence of music groups, most notably, BTS. K-pop is different in many ways compared to the Western music industry. In the West, most artists' success is due to their talent, skills, and experiences. Although those things can be true in the K-pop industry, most major acts have started auditioning through agencies and going through years of training to become the right appeal for their group.

Things like narratives, names, design, style, partnerships, and concept albums are thought about strategically, often before members are even chosen for the group. These factors are very important for success in the K-pop industry. ‘Branding’ is the process of creating a distinct identity for a product or service that also differentiates it from its competitors. With the industry being so competitive, creatives need to create concepts that make the group stand out.

1. Narrative

Narrative is the framework for communicating the brand identity. This includes identifying your strengths, audience, competitors, and what problem you are solving. Essentially, the “why” behind your brand. What things do you excel at that will help you succeed in a specific market? Who are you trying to target? What makes you different from similar products/services? What new market are you creating? These are things that professionals in the music industry think about when deciding on the artist’s narrative.

When thinking of any artist, fans typically associate items, symbols, colors, aesthetics, themes, etc. with them. It is important to establish a strong brand for the artist so fans are reminded of the artist through their associations and, in turn, purchase concert tickets, merchandise, and stream music. For example, Lana Del Rey is often associated with the coquette, vintage Hollywood, and Americana aesthetic, and Billie Eilish is often associated with neon hair, baggy, androgynous clothing, and a moody aesthetic. Common concepts/aesthetics in K-pop include girl/boy crush, innocent/cute, sexy, dark, retro, school girl/boy, etc. Concepts/aesthetics can also change over time, often with each new album/comeback, to reflect something new

The K-pop group NewJeans has established a unique, distinct, and successful brand since their debut in July 2022. Created by Min Hee-Jin under the ADOR sub-label of the HYBE entertainment company, Min Hee-Jin states that she was inspired to create a group that a broad audience would listen to.

“With NewJeans, I was trying to target people who weren’t interested previously! I want them to become K-pop fans. The K-pop industry has traditionally been more centered on K-pop fanatics and “core fans,” but I wanted to have a group that everybody, regardless of their gender and age, could love” (Mark Wilson, Fast Company).

And this has been a successful strategy. In March of 2023, NewJeans broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest K-pop act to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify, faster than other large acts like BTS and BLACKPINK (Guinness World Records).

Building on concepts of the Y2K aesthetic, they have captured the attention of Gen Z, who yearn for something fresh, and Millennials, who are nostalgic about the past. One way Min Hee-Jin was able to craft a unique sound is by allowing NewJeans’ style to be influenced by the creative freedom of their composers and the individuality of the members. In a “Korea Herald” article referencing an interview with Min Hee-Jin, Choi Ji-Won states,

“How the individual bandmates were trained and communicated with the producers also happened in a comfortable environment. Rather than giving them a song and instructing them to practice, she played the music to them through listening sessions and asked for their opinions. The recordings were made without a guide vocalist, so they could sing in their own styles” (Choi Ji-won, The Korea Herald).

Min Hee-Jin also explains how she does not feel the need to create traditional hit-making formulas.

“For most K-pop songs, there’s always an intro and then the climax and the tension relieves again, because people think that having loops is boring… We don’t push them to make a hit song or give them really detailed directions to follow. We just leave them to make the music that they can really make best. You have to let the composers do what they want to do” (Mark Wilson, Fast Company).

2. Names

Group, fandom, stage, and album/song names are the main identifiers of a brand. When creating a name, you should make sure it has market appeal, reflects the brand, is memorable, and builds an emotional connection. It is also important for names (logos as well) to be registered as trademarks. In the U.S., you register them through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and in Korea, through the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). This is necessary so you can differentiate yourself from other markets, and so you are legally protected if someone steals your work.

When creating NewJeans’ name, Min Hee-Jin states,

“I want to make NewJeans’s music so that it will still sound really beautiful after 10, 20 years. You never throw away your favorite pair of jeans—your favorite pair of clothing… I think the kind of clothes that you can wear every single day are like pop music” (Mark Wilson, Fast Company).

The group name is a play on words, New Genes = NewJeans, signifying a new form of pop music.

She also states,

“I wanted the name to be a-national, which means it could be a Korean group or U.S. group or sound like a European group. I wanted it to be gender-neutral and have less of a feminine vibe. Because even though we were creating a girl group, I wanted the team image to be cool, chill, sophisticated. The name NewJeans also has these kind of retro, vintage vibes… [I also thought] it would be perfect for the Gen Zers because it sounded really straightforward and concise… And the simple stuff is always the best” (Mark Wilson, Fast Company).

NewJeans’ fandom name, Bunnies (토끼), was created due to their self-titled debut EP, which features cover art that has a bunny, which is also seen as the group’s mascot, and was officially announced by the group in October 2022 (@NewJeans_ADOR, X). The fandom name and bunny mascot relate to their brand aesthetic by using playful and youthful themes, and are also reminiscent of cartoons from the 90s and early 2000s.

3. Design

Design in K-pop includes things like logos, colors, and lightsticks. They help grab consumers’ attention and allow fans to rep the group. NewJeans has many official logos used over the years. They also have an unofficial ‘bunny mascot’ that has been used in various promotional materials. All of their designs reflect the Y2K aesthetic.

Colors are strategically implemented through logos, merchandise, and the overall aesthetic of groups. Based on color psychology, certain colors evoke different emotions and associations. For example, blue with trust and reliability, and red with danger and urgency (Mailchimp). This is why stop signs are red and why doctors wear blue. Although NewJeans does not have officially recognized colors, fans often associate them with each member. Hyein: purple, Minji: blue, Danielle: yellow, Haerin: green, and Hanni: pink. They have used these colors in their logos, artwork, albums, and merchandise that reflect their aesthetic. Colors help bring a cohesive element to promotional materials and influence fans to feel a certain way towards the group.

Lightsticks help fans create a sense of belonging and feel part of a community. For NewJeans, their lightstick, known as “Binky Bong”, is shaped like a bunny head, inspired by their (bunny) mascot and the (bunnies) official fandom name (@NewJeans_ADOR, X). Min Hee-Jin states that while thinking of a unifying symbol for the group, the idea came to her right before falling asleep. The lightstick replicates the letters ‘N’ and ‘J’ merged. She also says the members remind her of bunnies. The lightsticks also come customizable, allowing fans to express themselves and symbolize individuality (@NHK_Music, YouTube).

4. Style

Style is the main way in which idols are perceived, often before their musical or performance skills. Although this can run into issues of unrealistic and harmful beauty standards, style, and beauty, more specifically, is considered a key requirement for a debut. Style is implemented into the branding of a K-pop group through makeup styles, hair styles, and fashion.

Examples of NewJeans’ style would be natural, soft makeup, straight, dark hair, Y2K-inspired hairstyles, braids, hair accessories, casual, comfortable outfits, T-shirts, crop tops, baggy jeans, cargo pants, school uniforms, and sneakers. Min Hee-Jin has stated that when creating NewJeans, her idea was to have a group

“Free of the heavy makeup and flamboyant fashion that now reigns in K-pop, the bandmates -- all in their teens -- appear mostly in T-shirts, pants and sneakers. Their hair is dark and straight, like ordinary teenage girls” (Choi Ji-won, The Korea Herald).

NewJeans’ overall style celebrates adolescence, self-discovery, and the journey of growing up, which is relatable to their younger audience and nostalgic for older fans (Yiyu Chen, SHS).

5. Partnerships

Partnerships are a form of marketing that allows brands to reach new audiences, improve their image, and increase credibility by association with other reputable brands. Marketers match two brands based on similar values and target audiences, ultimately leading to more sales.

Some popular partnerships that NewJeans has had include The Powerpuff Girls, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Apple, Takashi Murakami, PUBG, Levi’s, Nike, and Calvin Klein. These particular partnerships have been successful. For example, for the Apple company, Mark Wilson of Fast Company states that,

“It’s interesting how, with NewJeans, brand partnerships are not just a money-making enterprise. They are an expression that’s fundamental to the group’s identity. For example, NewJeans plopped bunny ears on the Apple logo—marking the first time such a thing had ever been done with the protected trademark” (Mark Wilson, Fast Company).

Another successful partnership would be Levi’s, which is the world’s most popular denim brand, which matches with the NewJeans group name. Coca-Cola makes sense because of its retro and energetic vibes. PUBG makes sense because the game is popular among the younger generation, and it also represents NewJeans' playful spirits. Takaski Murakami makes sense because of the array of colors and youthful aesthetics in both brands.

6. Concept Albums

Concept albums are built around a specific theme, often representing a big project, and tell a story. They act as a continuous series, referencing the previous albums before it. They are also promoted with a ‘comeback’ (after a period of waiting, the artist posting promotional material, leading up to the release of new music).

In early K-pop, purchasing physical CDs was one of the only ways fans could attend exclusive meet-and-greet and signing events. When CDs became less popular, due to streaming platforms/digital downloads, they turned into physical albums containing music, photo books, posters, posters, photocards, stickers, etc. (Joey Levenson, It’s Nice That). Fans feel more connected to the band through albums and collect them as a decoration and to compile photocards, which they often buy and trade.

Record labels will give the concept and the music to designers, who help bring the label’s vision to life through physical packaging. K-pop album packaging is slightly different from regular CDs or digital albums in the West, which focuses on the singer. Graphic designer Jiyoon Lee from Studio XXX, a very prominent design studio in K-pop, states that K-pop album packaging

“have specific themes and stories, while other pop albums usually focus on the artists or songs” (Tassia Assis, AIGA).

K-pop’s use of storytelling is reflected in their albums, not just their music.

Xinyi Tang and Weiyu Wang of Weixin say that,

“The album "New Jeans" has launched… with Min Xizhen's comprehensive album concept and visual design, adding digital pixels, graffiti, steam waves and other nostalgic elements, and implementing retro Y2K (millennium style) sentiment… For example, the inside page of the limited Log Book version of the album is a collage diary made by the members himself, and each CD has the members' graffiti” (Tang and Wang, Weixin).

In a limited edition version of the album, Min Xizhen was

“inspired by her childhood memories: she wanted to take the CD player out of the house, but there was no suitable bag. NewJeans members also uploaded pictures of backpacks. Everyone's accessories on the bag are different” (Tang and Wang, Weixin).

It is very evident how NewJeans’ aesthetic is influenced through their albums and merchandise, and how it has influenced an emotional connection with fans.

7. Rebranding

Recent controversy of workplace mistreatment has become evident in NewJeans’ career. Throughout legal disputes, NewJeans was unable to terminate its contract. Regardless, NewJeans illegally rebranded to “NJZ”, created unreleased music (“Pit Stop”) with external creatives, and sold merchandise with the new brand at ComplexCon Hong Kong (March 2025) (Jon Caramanica, The New York Times).

They marketed their new brand as having a much darker and mature concept, yet what they have shown does not reflect that to many fans (@CNN, TikTok). After all, their new name is just an acronym. Netizens have also been quick to call out that their aesthetic might be copied from other K-pop groups, which raises the question of whether their rebranding is really new/unique (Inaas Khan, Sportskeeda).

Professionals and netizens believe that this was a bad idea on their end because they should have sought out legal advice before trying to rebrand. NewJeans is going on hiatus until legal issues are resolved. The whole controversy is very unfortunate because of what NewJeans had built up and their large commercial success.

NewJeans’ global success in the K-pop industry demonstrates the importance of strategic branding. Min Hee-Jin and the creatives behind NewJeans have crafted every aspect of their brand from narratives, names, and design to style, partnerships, and concept albums. NewJeans sets itself apart from other groups by being able to resonate with different audiences across many generations. Their Y2K aesthetic, inclusive style, and collaborative pursuits reinforce their image and create an emotional appeal, connecting well with Gen Z and Millennials. The recent controversy and attempt to rebrand as “NJZ” show how quickly even the most successful brands can stumble when faced with legal and organizational challenges. NewJeans’ story is a great example that shows how a well-executed brand is not only necessary for success but also must be adaptable to sustain longevity in the competitive K-pop industry.

Written by Riley Ulas

ZineRiley UlasK-pop, Branding, Marketing, Business, Music, Blogpost, Research, Article, News, NewJeans, Concept Album, Music Business