Rexona partners with K-pop group G(I-dle) for a not so fresh deodorant campaign

Another day, another K-pop partnership. At this point, even us woodland creatures are tired of seeing K-pop artists endorsing everything under the sun. 

In the latest offering, deodorant brand Rexona has teamed up with the South Korean girl group (G)I-DLE, enlisting them as ambassadors to launch the brand’s Vitamin Bright range. 

Admittedly, Ad Nut is not the target market for K-pop or this vitamin-enhanced deodorant. After all, Ad Nut's preferred source of vitamins is cashews and tends to go 'au naturel' rather than bother with deodorant. But Ad Nut is sure of one thing, this K-pop x deodorant collaboration is not as fresh as intended.

In the film, (G)I-DLE dances to the rhythm of one of their songs 'Queencard', Rexona says it's a perfect match: "Their song embodies the shared ethos of Rexona and the band, a call to 'go again and again' with non-stop confidence."

Victor Hugo Jr, Rexona's global brand director, said: "Seeing K-pop as a unifying cultural force in Asia, Rexona's strategic alliance is a deliberate move to resonate more deeply with our consumers."

A deodorant ad is meant to be massy, this doesn't break any creative indices either, Ad Nut gets that.  And reckons the work might tickle the fancy of the target audience—the vibrant youth and (G)I-DLE's  fan base.

However, yours truly can't help but yawn at the tired happy-tired-glossy routine of slapping a K-pop endorsement on every other product. Bravo for creativity—said no one with a high-functioning imagination. Ad Nut advises brands to stop shoe-horning K-pop into every other campaign targeting Gen Z. It's been done too often, and frankly, it's time the K-pop endorsement bubble popped.