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Cup Noodle Lid Holders? MZ Generation Drives Korea’s Character Goods Craze

Summary

Cup Noodle Lid Holders? MZ Generation Drives Korea’s Character Goods Craze
Type	Other	Genre	Character/Licensing

Cup Noodle Lid Holders? MZ Generation Drives Korea’s Character Goods Craze

This article demonstrates how character IP collaborations across food and entertainment sectors

are becoming major drivers of consumer engagement and sales. This offers a solid blueprint for

global buyers looking to merge product utility with emotional brand connections.

♦ Nongshim’s ‘Neoguri Cup Noodle Stopper’ Success

• Nongshim partnered with toy maker Toytron to create a cup noodle lid holder modeled after its Neoguri

instant noodle brand

• This functions as both a practical lid stopper and collectible keyring, featuring nine random characters

with an unboxing-style experience

♦ Multi-Channel Sales & Pop-Up Marketing

• Sold nationwide at toy stores, hypermarkets, convenience stores, stationery shops, and online

platforms

• Promotional pop-up “Neoguri’s Ramen Shop” appeared in high-traffic areas like Myeongdong,

Dongdaemun, and Han River ferry docks

♦ Character IP Market Shows Strong Consumer Appeal

• KOCCA data reveals 95.7% consumer experience rate and 81.5% purchase rate for character goods in

Korea during 2024

• Examples include GS25's “Puzzle SEVENTEEN” bread series and Netflix’s “Squid Game” third

collaboration reaching ₩75B in cumulative sales

♦ Emotional Value Drives Market Growth

• Character goods provide functional use plus emotional satisfaction and collectible appeal for

consumers

• Industry expects continued growth in cross-sector IP collaborations targeting diverse fandoms and

demographics

Source

Asia Today. (2025. 8. 8)

(Korean version only)

Source

Asia Today