Wadiz reported that its intellectual property (IP) goods funding has surpassed 10.7 billion won. Familiar brands like banana-flavored milk, Ssangssangbar, and Butter Ring are transforming into entirely different products, garnering consumer interest.
Wadiz announced on September 3 that the cumulative funding for goods utilizing brand and character IP over the past two years has reached approximately 10.7 billion won. Among this, funding for food and beverage-related projects that reinterpret food packaging into tableware and electronic devices has exceeded 3.4 billion won.
The standout product is a five-piece tableware set modeled after the iconic container of Binggrae's banana-flavored milk. The familiar container shape has been reimagined into rice bowls, soup bowls, and plates.
Before the project was publicly launched, over 24,000 people signed up for notifications, and the actual funding amount reached 650 million won. Notifications from overseas users in the United States, Japan, and Singapore also continued.
The combination of food IP and tech products is also receiving positive responses. A product that turns Haitai Ice's Ssangssangbar into a power bank raised 680 million won in its initial funding and has proceeded to a second round. A MagSafe charger modeled after Haitai's Butter Ring recorded 420 million won in funding.
Other products like O Yes, Cham Bungeoppang, and wafers have expanded their product range to include power banks and hand warmers. On September 17, a power bank utilizing Dongwon Tuna can design will be unveiled, with over 8,500 pre-notification sign-ups currently.
These products stand out not just for attaching brand logos or characters. They maintain the shape and color of the original packaging, allowing consumers to immediately recall the existing brand while adding new functionalities like tableware, chargers, and power banks.
Wadiz views the ability to gauge initial consumer reactions through funding as a factor in expanding the use of brand IP. Before mass production, it allows brands to see how much consumers are willing to spend on specific IP and product combinations, and if the response is positive, they can expand into follow-up products or other categories.
The influx of overseas consumers into Wadiz is also increasing the potential for international expansion of IP goods. In the first half of this year, Wadiz recorded actual funding payments from 25 countries based on overseas shipping addresses, with Japan, the United States, and Hong Kong being the top three. In May, the monthly active users (MAU) reached 10.82 million, and supporter participation, including notifications, payments, and shares, totaled 7.32 million.
A Wadiz representative stated, “For brands and makers, this can be an opportunity to broaden the appeal of existing IP into new product lines, creating additional product opportunities. We hope this initiative leads to more diverse brands and makers.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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