[비즈한국] The winners of ‘Object by Prize 2025,’ which recognizes the most noteworthy brands of the year, have been finalized. A total of six brands, including Korean Air003490, Binggrae005180, Dodram Food, C-Dot, Amorepacific090430, and Pelicana, took home trophies in their respective categories. The grand prize, ‘Brand of the Year 2025,’ will be revealed at the awards ceremony to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Gwanghwamun on October 28.
Now in its third year, ‘Object by Prize’ annually evaluates and awards brands based on their comprehensive efforts in connecting with consumers, including merchandise, rebranding, campaigns, collaborations, spaces, and experiences. Rather than an open call for submissions, the process involves independent market research and candidate selection to ensure fairness. Experts in the branding field, such as brand strategists and design directors, participated as judges, evaluating entries based on six criteria: planning ability, design completeness, creativity, message delivery, consumer experience, and brand synergy.
As in the previous year, Na Geon, a professor at Hongik University (General Director of the Gwangju Biennale and Red Dot Design Award judge), served as the head of the jury. Jury chair Na Geon stated, “Success in branding can no longer be judged solely by the output. The core lies in the philosophy and attitude with which a brand builds relationships with its consumers. This year, we focused on the consistency and sincerity of that process, and how those experiences expand into culture.”
Best Goods: C-Dot ‘National Museum of Korea Dancheong Keyboard’
In the Best Goods category, C-Dot’s ‘National Museum of Korea Dancheong Keyboard’ was selected as the winner. By applying traditional Korean Dancheong patterns to a modern keyboard design, the product successfully translates the aesthetics of cultural heritage into an everyday object. It has become a viral hit, gaining popularity as a signature ‘Myuseum Goods’ (museum goods) item at the National Museum of Korea, frequently selling out.
By transplanting the colors and geometric patterns of Dancheong onto digital equipment, the product demonstrates that design can be more than mere decoration; it can be a form of ‘cultural translation.’ It was particularly praised for the delicate harmony between the sculptural beauty of the Hangeul keycaps and the traditional patterns, successfully blending functionality with sentiment.
The jury remarked, “It is notable how it reinterprets cultural heritage through the language of modern industrial design. By implementing the symbolic material of Dancheong in a sophisticated way, it shows that the reinterpretation of tradition can represent a new possibility for brand design.”
Best Rebranding: Korean Air
Korean Air won the honor in the Best Rebranding category. The rebranding was highly evaluated for its significance in establishing a new visual language aligned with global standards, while still maintaining its symbolism as a ‘national flag carrier.’
The brand color, ‘Sky Blue,’ was adjusted to be brighter and more transparent, adding a futuristic sense to the image symbolizing the sky, while the integration of typography and logos established a consistent brand tone. Furthermore, by refining touchpoints across the board—including the in-flight visual system, cabin crew uniforms, and aircraft design—the company achieved a balanced rebranding that bridges tradition and innovation.
The jury stated, “Korean Air’s rebranding is an exemplary case where corporate identity harmonizes with the changes of the era. It demonstrates a sophisticated expression that respects tradition while remaining relevant in the global market.”
Best Collaboration: Amorepacific × SM Entertainment ‘Fan Signal Cheering Balm’
The collaboration project ‘Fan Signal Cheering Balm’ between Amorepacific and SM Entertainment is an example of expanding fandom culture into a new brand experience through the meeting of a beauty brand and the K-pop industry.
This product, which adds an emotional lighting function to a cheering stick, combined the worlds of music and beauty under the concept of ‘Fan Signal.’ It received high marks for its planning ability that encompassed brilliant colors, lighting interactions, and content tailored to each brand’s fan community.
The jury unanimously agreed, “It is a creative collaboration that broke down the boundaries between industries and is a case where the global influence of the K-content industry was converted into a brand experience. It is a symbolic project that shows how a Korean brand can create synergy with cultural content.”
Best Space: Pelicana ‘Pelitage Timeless’
Pelicana’s ‘Pelitage Timeless’ was selected as the winner of the Best Space category. It is an attempt to translate the image of a familiar national chicken brand into a brand experience centered on space, taking the form of a ‘photo exhibition.’
The overall spatial composition maintains the traditional logo and colors while reconstructing classic branding elements through sophisticated interior design and exhibition staging. By unfolding the brand’s history and the changes of the times as a ‘narrative within a space,’ it was evaluated as approaching the younger generation with novelty and the older generation with nostalgia.
The jury remarked, “It is high-quality space branding that transformed the brand’s legacy into a sensory experience. It was excellent in its ability to go beyond the existing grammar of commercial spaces and make the brand’s narrative a visual and emotional experience.”
Best Experience: Dodram Food ‘CanDon’
Dodram Food’s ‘CanDon’ is an unusual project that reinterpreted a food product through its ‘form.’ As the name suggests (combining ‘Can’ and ‘Don’ for pork), by distributing pork in a can, it proposed a new way to enjoy food as a lifestyle. It was an attempt that contained the brand philosophy of ‘the easiest and freest way to enjoy pork,’ rather than just being a product that improved storage and convenience.
Dodram added design experimentation to the essential value of ‘good meat,’ allowing consumers to reimagine the way they consume meat. Beyond portability and cooking convenience suited for modern lifestyles such as camping, single-person households, and instant meals, it shed the image of a traditional meat brand through simple packaging and sophisticated branding.
The jury evaluated, “The attempt to change the grammar of pork consumption through the form of a can was impressive. It transformed a product into a cultural object, completing a new lifestyle suggested by the brand. It is a plan that went beyond functional innovation to redefine the very ‘attitude of consuming meat’ in line with current trends.”
Best Campaign: Binggrae ‘The Liberation We Hear for the First Time’
Binggrae’s ‘The Liberation We Hear for the First Time’ is more than a one-off campaign; it is the culmination of the brand’s long-standing awareness of history and social sincerity. As part of the ‘Liberation Series Campaign,’ which is in its sixth year, the 2025 project focused on reviving the sounds of the Liberation on August 15, 1945. Using AI restoration technology, Binggrae reconstructed the actual sounds of that day—the cheering, street noises, and radio broadcasts—and expanded them into interactive exhibitions and video content.
This campaign was completed within the consistent planning context of Binggrae’s work, following 2024’s ‘The Liberation We Wear for the First Time’ and 2023’s ‘The Latest Graduation Ceremony in the World.’ Since producing a video for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Provisional Government in 2019, Binggrae has continued the same theme annually, and is being recognized for establishing the message of remembrance and respect as a core brand philosophy.
The jury remarked, “Binggrae has shown that companies can continue social messages as a narrative rather than a one-time event. The way they connected history and emotion through technology was excellent, and it is a project with a superb balance of commercialism and public good. By presenting the attitude with which a brand handles social memory based on consistent sincerity, it was an attempt that deserves to remain as a cultural record, rather than just a simple campaign.”
An official from Object by Prize stated, “Our corporate brand capabilities are growing rapidly every year to the point where they are already sufficient for the global market. Through the form of this award, we aim to document not only the results of the brands but also the process and attitude that lead to those results every year.”
The winners selected for each category this year are automatically registered as candidates for the ‘Brand of the Year 2025,’ and the final winners will be revealed at the ‘Brand Biz Conference 2025’ held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul Gwanghwamun on October 28.