Stars Constantly Get iPhone after Contract with Samsung: Jennie, Jang Wonyoung, now Lee Hyori
Samsung has been striving to shed the “Galaxy as an old-fashioned phone” image by collaborating with popular celebrities in its marketing campaigns. However, many of these celebrities revert to using iPhones as soon as their contracts with Samsung expire.
Even Lee Hyori, once synonymous with Samsung, has reportedly switched to an iPhone. Recently, she shared selfies on her social media, with the iPhone in her hand drawing significant attention.
This is especially striking because Lee Hyori was considered the “eternal Anycall model,” representing a strong and long-standing relationship with Samsung. As the longest-running Anycall advertising model, her association with the brand was iconic.
Not only Lee Hyori, but other stars like BLACKPINK’s Jennie and IVE’s Jang Wonyoung also switched to iPhones almost immediately after their contracts with Samsung ended. These idols actively promoted Galaxy smartphones to younger audiences while under contract but reverted to iPhones soon after.
Recently, the idol group BOYNEXTDOOR faced backlash when they flaunted their iPhones at the airport right after their Galaxy sponsorship ended. Online communities criticized the act as disrespectful, with comments such as, “Switching so blatantly right after the contract ends feels inappropriate.”
On the other hand, as notable endorsers of iPhone, NewJeans was criticized for advertising the brand on a music show. In particular, many people argued that as K-pop artists who have a direct impact on teenagers, NewJeans should show more loyalty and promotional support to Korean brands.
Meanwhile, Apple has been focusing on improving its camera function targeting younger generations, according to insiders. In particular, as celebrities have been posting ‘mirror selfies’ with iPhones on SNS, the formula ‘selfie = iPhone’ is now popular among young people.
In fact, celebrities such as Kim Yu-na, IVE’s Ahn Yu-jin, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and Han So-hee have also been posting selfies taken with iPhones.
The impact of celebrities voluntarily posting iPhone selfies has been significant, particularly among teenagers and young adults. According to a Korean Gallup survey on smartphone usage and brand preferences, 65% of users aged 18–29 prefer iPhones, more than double the share of Galaxy users (32%) in the same demographic.
On the other hand, Samsung, known to be the ‘best’ in image processing in competition with iPhone, seems to be aware of this, and so is rapidly trying to improve their image and rebrand as a “trendier” brand.
A Samsung official said, “We know better than anyone else about the younger generation’s preference for iPhones,” adding, “We are diligently analyzing and studying it.”
Source: Daum