Nongshim Banana Kick, which was recently introduced by group Black Pink member Jenny as her favorite snack on a popular talk show in the U.S., came out as a donut in the U.S.
Nongshim announced on the 18th that it has introduced “Banana Kick Cream Donut” at its first overseas dessert cafe Noted in Los Angeles (LA).
The donut, which Nongshim launched in partnership with Noted, features banana kick as a topping with cream with a soft and sweet taste and scent unique to Banana Kick. Banana Kick was introduced as Jenny’s favorite snack on the talk show “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on the 10th of last month, raising interest in the U.S.
At the time, Jenny grabbed a banana kick and said, “It’s my favorite snack,” adding, “It’s really good. You’ll get a different and special banana flavor than you expected.”
Jenny’s words attracted the attention of consumers around the world. The snacks Jenny mentioned were at the top of the search word list as they emerged as a global trend, and Nongshim’s market capitalization rose by KRW 264 billion due to the stock price rise for four consecutive days. Nongshim quickly started to respond to the news on social media. On its official SNS, Nongshim posted a video of the talk show personifying its own banana kick and spicy shrimp snack. The banana kick in the post seems to be in mind of Jennie’s story of her appearance on the talk show, saying, “I got a solo shot for five seconds.”
Since then, Nongshim has released Meron Kick as a follow-up product 50 years after the launch of Banana Kick.
Nongshim plans to sell melon kicks in Korea from the 21st and then expand exports to the U.S., Japan, and China markets.
Nongshim and Notid will launch “Banana Kick Cream Latte” in the future and also introduce collaborative menus using Meron Kick.
An official from Nongshim said, “We will conduct marketing to help the kick series, including Banana Kick, grow into a global snack brand.”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
