Want to Meet Stray Kids? Pepero Has a Global Fan Event Coming

Stray Kids are helping take one of South Korea's sweetest traditions global. Lotte Wellfood is launching an international Pepero Day campaign featuring the K-POP group, with fan events, a collaboration song and advertisements in major cities around the world.

Ahead of Pepero Day on Nov. 11, the company announced on Oct. 23 that it would launch a global social media event with Stray Kids, its global brand ambassador. The campaign also includes overseas advertising and local promotions designed to introduce the Korean snack holiday to more international consumers.

The centerpiece is "PLAY WITH PEPERO," a social media event open to participants in South Korea and abroad through Feb. 5 next year. Fans can enter by sharing photos or videos featuring Pepero on their personal Instagram feeds, using the required hashtags and submitting their post links through the official Pepero account. Entries can include anything from creative product photos and decorations to Pepero Day introductions and song challenges.

Lotte Wellfood will select 111 winners. Eleven grand-prize winners will receive invitations to a Stray Kids "MEET & GREET" event, along with round-trip transportation and a two-night, three-day stay. Another 100 winners will also receive invitations. Scheduled for April next year in Seoul, the event will feature the first live performance of "November 11" (Sibirwol Sibiril), a collaboration song between Stray Kids and Pepero.

The campaign is also making its way into everyday online conversations. Lotte Wellfood is releasing Pepero-themed Gifts for YouTube, featuring animated Pepero products, characters, hearts and Pepero Day greetings. According to the company, this marks the first time YouTube has created Gifts using a brand's intellectual property.

Beyond social media, Pepero is taking over advertising spaces overseas. In New York, a Times Square advertisement will run from Oct. 19 through Nov. 15, continuing a campaign that began in 2023. Los Angeles will feature digital advertisements at Koreatown Plaza, while Stray Kids-themed ads are appearing at 14 Lotte Mart stores in Vietnam.

Other markets are getting their own Pepero Day experiences. Vietnam will host product sampling events and a pop-up store in Hanoi, while a photo booth is planned for Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In the Philippines, Lotte Wellfood will introduce a special November pack and promotional displays at S&R stores. Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia will also see retail promotions, special packaging and advertising, with additional campaigns planned in Peru, Ecuador, Australia, Germany and other markets.

"We prepared a range of global marketing so that Pepero Day can become a day when consumers around the world enjoy together and share their feelings,” a Lotte Wellfood official said. “We will keep expanding our connection with global consumers through a brand experience that only Pepero can offer."

With Stray Kids at the center of the campaign, Lotte Wellfood is hoping to turn Pepero Day from a Korean snack tradition into a celebration that fans around the world can take part in.