As professional baseball enjoys explosive popularity, platform and game companies are extending a series of collaboration overtures to baseball clubs. Popular intellectual property (IP) such as webtoons and games is being applied to team mascots and stadiums, offering baseball fans a fresh kind of entertainment.
According to the information technology (IT) industry on the 17th, major platform and game companies including Naver and Kakao are actively rolling out character collaboration marketing with professional baseball clubs.
Kakao Entertainment is joining hands with professional baseball's Samsung Lions to launch its "Samsung Lions X Ryan Collaboration MD" products. The collaboration was planned to jointly celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Samsung Lions' home stadium, Daegu Samsung Lions Park, and the 10th anniversary of Kakao's flagship character, Ryan.
The collaboration merchandise unveiled this time comprises a total of 15 items. The lineup includes uniforms, marking kits for Samsung Lions legends and retired-number players such as Lee Man-soo, Yang Jun-hyuk, Lee Seung-yuop and Oh Seung-hwan, as well as ball caps, baseballs, folding cushions, Boston bags, carabiner fans, ticket holders, beach towels and key rings.
The designs are based on the blue color that symbolizes the Samsung Lions, featuring various poses of Ryan transformed into a baseball player and images of him holding the "Strongest Samsung" slogan placed throughout the merchandise. The products can be purchased at "Berriz Shop," the fan store of the global K-culture fan platform "Berriz."
Earlier, Naver Webtoon also carried out a collaboration with the Kiwoom Heroes to great acclaim. It unveiled distinctive products featuring "Chunbae and Friends," characters from Naver Webtoon's hit series "Nyahan Namja," and in April this year held a "Chunbae Signing Ceremony" event at Gocheok Sky Dome, the Kiwoom Heroes' home stadium, capturing the attention of baseball fans.
IP participation from the game industry has also continued. Netmarble's content marketing subsidiary MNB launched a series of convenience meals through a three-way collaboration with convenience store CU and the Doosan Bears, using its popular IP "Kungya Restaurants," expanding into the offline marketing space.
An IT industry official said, "Buoyed by the success of professional baseball, collaboration marketing targeting sports fandom has become the mainstream trend," adding, "It is regarded as a win-win strategy that provides baseball fans with a fresh consumer experience while securing mass-market scalability for content companies' own IP."
