Mr Hwang, managing director at Hite Jinro

Mr Hwang, managing director at Hite Jinro

Jinro announces first Korean spirit sponsorship of major UK festival

16 August, 2022

The world’s number one selling spirit brand Jinro soju has announced it will be sponsoring Luno presents All Points East festival this month, the first time a Korean spirit brand has supported a major UK festival, making history for the global drinks market.

The sponsorship is part of ongoing investment in the UK market to increase distribution and awareness of the Korean soju brand, following the success of recent UK collaborations with brands, including a campaign with Honest Burgers that aligned with traditional consumption of Jinro alongside food.

Mr Hwang, managing director at Hite Jinro said: “We are proud to be the first Korean spirit brand to sponsor a major UK festival. The sponsorship is part of our strategy to introduce our soju brand to the local UK market and with Jinro’s ethos of positivity and our lower abv flavoured ‘Chamisul’ range, a festival is the ideal market entry for the summer season.”

Luno presents All Points East will play host to Jinro’s two-floor bar themed on a giant case of Jinro where festival-goers can step into an oversize world, featuring a neon bar, a Polaroid Zone, purpose-built spaces to "freshen up” and prize-led games based on traditional Korean games.

“The UK consumers appetite for the flavoured range of Jinro, “Chamisul”, has increased at 51% CAGR since 2018 and has accelerated over the past two years with the Chamisul range taking the category market share of 63% in 2021,” Hwang added. 

The festival precedes a new distribution network that will take soju beyond traditional on-trade outlets serving a predominantly Korean and Asian client base, and into outlets serving a typical British audience. 

The brand's eventual goal is to see Jinro stocked in major retailers outside specialist stores in the UK.





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