Stray Kids-backed Pepero Day set to go global again this year

Lotte Wellfood said it is launching a global marketing campaign with Stray Kids ahead of Pepero Day on Nov. 11. The push spans a range of online and offline activations, from a Times Square billboard in New York to a YouTube gift collaboration and country-specific local promotions.

The campaign kicks off with an SNS verification event featuring Stray Kids, the brand's global ambassador. Fans can participate by posting a photo or video with Pepero on Instagram. Submissions will be accepted through Feb. 5 next year.

A total of 111 winners selected by draw will receive invitations to a "MEET & GREET" event in Seoul in April next year. Eleven of those will also receive round-trip transportation and two nights of accommodation. At the event, Stray Kids will perform "November 11," a new track created in collaboration with the Pepero brand.

Lotte Wellfood is also partnering with YouTube on a digital gift feature — animated images incorporating Pepero products, characters, hearts and celebratory messages. The company said this marks the first time YouTube has launched a gift using a brand's intellectual property.

Outdoor advertising will run at major international locations. The Times Square billboard in New York will be displayed through Nov. 15, marking the fourth consecutive year since 2023. A separate ad will run at Koreatown Plaza in Los Angeles through Nov. 14, and Stray Kids-themed advertisements will also appear at 14 Lotte Mart stores in Vietnam.

Country-specific promotions tailored to local consumers will continue across multiple markets. In Vietnam, the company will hold consumer engagement events including product sampling centered on university campuses, and a Pepero pop-up store will operate at Westlake Shopping Mall in Hanoi. In Almaty, Kazakhstan, a photo booth and other activations are planned at major retail chains on Nov. 11.

"We will continue to expand our reach with global consumers through differentiated brand experiences unique to Pepero," a Lotte Wellfood official said.