Top Sexy Stars Promoting Global Brands

World-renowned fashion and sports brands are going after a new look in Korea to appeal to the younger generation by using the nation's top pop and movie stars in their marketing campaigns.

Calvin Klein, one of the world's fashion leaders, has picked bombshell singer Lee Hyo-ri as a new model for the company's new line of jeans, "Pure Calvin.''

Under the contract, Lee will not only represent the brand in Korea but also in Asia, making her the first Korean pop star to promote CK across the whole Asian market.

Chosen for her "sexy, modern and fresh image,'' Lee will begin appearing in CK ads next month, the company said in a statement.

Levi's Strauss & Company, a leading jeans maker, has also chosen movie actress Park Si-yeon to model for its" Levi's Lady Style'' brand.

The company previously used a Korean star BoA, to promote its brand in Japan which is a center stage for the young singer.

Park will be the first Korean actress to appear in Levi's ads exclusively for the Korean market.

Top global firms used to promote their brands in overseas markets by showing the same ads used at home with homeland actors or actresses. But to make their globalization successful, they need to localize first. Marketing experts claim that to this end, an increasing number of international companies will be looking for more domestic stars for marketing and advertising.

Reebok chose a Korean pop singer, Ivy, for her "independent, sincere and sexy image,'' as part of its efforts to boost its brand awareness that compared with Nike, Adidas and Puma is weak in Korea.

"She will be participating in Reebok's various promotional events starting in mid-March or early April and appeal to consumers interested in simple sports in daily life,'' said a Reebok spokeswoman.

Paul Harrington, CEO of Reebok International, said early this month that Reebok will aim to become the No. 3 in Korea by 2010 by spending 10 percent of its sales on marketing.

Lee So-yeon, a movie actress, has also landed a modeling job for Shiseido, a Japanese hair care and cosmetics manufacturer.

Credits ~ Korea Times + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom