‘Figure Queen’ Kim Yu-na showcases her charm as she ascends in an elevator to the 123rd floor inside a rice cooker. At this height, Kim Yu-na savors the flavor of multigrain rice cooked at 123°C. fig0 This scene is part of the ‘123 Rice Cooker’ commercial starring Kim Yu-na, who serves as an exclusive model for Cuchen, a kitchen appliance brand. As of the 11th, the ad has accumulated more than 3.7 million views on YouTube, drawing significant attention.
Kim Yu-na, who earned the title of 'Figure Queen' at the 2006-07 Grand Prix Final, became a highly sought-after figure in the advertising sector, featuring in many commercials. Even 18 years later, she continues to hold significant influence, placing in the top 30 of the advertising model brand reputation survey by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute. The reason Kim Yu-na became a model for Cuchen, a rising player with the second-largest market share in the rice cooker industry, was due to a unique connection with Cuchen's CEO Park Jae-soon, a former 'Samsung employee.'
In 2009, Park, who was in charge of domestic marketing and nationwide operations at Samsung Electronics, spearheaded significant campaigns showcasing Kim Yu-na as a spokesperson, such as the 'Hauzen Air Conditioner' and 'Yuna's Haptic,' and the two created a successful partnership.
The Hauzen Air Conditioner commercial, which debuted in 2009, immediately drew interest because Kim Yu-na performed the 'Ssingsing' jingle. During that period, the air conditioner marketing team created on-site promotional content featuring figure skating motions, carrying out offline promotions and boosting the campaign's success.
The following year, the 'Zero' air conditioner commercial, highlighting Kim Yu-na's remarkable abilities like flawless jumps and impeccable performances, saw extraordinary success. According to Cheil Worldwide's advertising effectiveness survey from that period, the 'Samsung Hauzen Air Conditioner' received 40.5% of the preference ratings among all ads featuring Kim Yu-na as a model, securing the top position and generating significant attention.
During the same time, Kim Yu-na also served as a model for Samsung Electronics’ Anycall. This was quite rare back then, as a model typically represented only one Samsung product: either air conditioners or mobile phones. It is believed that this happened due to Park's strong support in featuring Kim Yu-na as the face of the campaign.
'Yuna’s Haptic' achieved over one million sales in the shortest time within the domestic market in 2009, making a significant impression on the mobile phone industry and boosting the sales of Samsung Electronics, which was facing challenges in its competition with Apple's iPhone. Because of this, it is still regarded as having provided a crucial foundation for Samsung Electronics' transition into the smartphone era.
The relationship between Park and Kim Yu-na reached the competition venue. At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Park, who was in charge of Korean sales, was present at the event and celebrated Kim Yu-na's historic gold medal victory. At the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, as the head of Chinese operations, he personally watched and supported Kim Yu-na's performance.
Specifically, following the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, he funded an ice performance showcasing top athletes, such as Kim Yu-na. He played a key role in promoting figure skating, allowing local fans to experience its grace firsthand, and it is reported that Kim Yu-na appreciated this effort.
Following his departure from Samsung Electronics in 2019, Park took on the role of CEO at Cuchen the next year and maintained his relationship with Kim Yu-na. In 2022, to mark Kim Yu-na's wedding, he personally presented a limited edition of Cuchen's 'Triple Rice Cooker' engraved with the couple's initials. This gesture is believed to have highlighted the strong trust they had developed over time.
This link played a crucial role in Kim Yu-na's decision to become a Cuchen model. Following her marriage, Kim Yu-na received many opportunities to promote different kitchen appliance products. However, remembering the long-standing trust she had with Park, who was the CEO of Cuchen, she contacted Cuchen first. She felt that collaborating with Cuchen was a significant way to maintain their relationship instead of becoming a model for another kitchen appliance company.
Back then, Park did not intend to recruit a high-level model such as Kim Yu-na because of ongoing business issues. Nevertheless, he immediately agreed to the collaboration offer from Kim Yu-na's team. Consequently, the initial plan was entirely changed, and Kim Yu-na was chosen as the new spokesperson for the 'Brain Rice Cooker' in 2023, leading to a touching reunion after 11 years.
The impact was tremendous. The "Brain" and "Grain" ads utilized a personification approach that had never been used in rice cooker commercials before, showcasing the collaboration between the rice cooker and Kim Yu-na to prepare tasty and nutritious rice in an engaging manner. The success of these ads led to a positive market reaction. Following the August 2023 ad, sales of the "Brain" rice cooker increased by about 262% compared to the previous month, with revenue rising more than 3.5 times.
In 2024, following the launch of the 'Grain' rice cooker, Cuchen finally achieved profitability for the first time in six years. The 'Brain' and 'Grain' models became known as the so-called 'Yuna Rice Cookers' and solidified their position as Cuchen's most popular and consistent sellers.
The partnership between Cuchen and Kim Yu-na is still active. This year marks their third year as ambassadors for the '123 Rice Cooker,' which features the top domestic 2.2 ultra-high pressure technology. A representative from Cuchen mentioned, "Kim Yu-na is not just a model; she is a symbol of loyalty and trust for Cuchen," and noted, "We intend to maintain our connection with Kim Yu-na moving forward."
