[비즈한국] In an era where brands are remembered beyond products as senses, experiences, and attitudes, people now prioritize what they are drawn to and which experiences they remember over what they are actually buying. Every month, Bizhankook presents the 'Brand of the Month' in collaboration with the brand community Be My B. We share the new sensations and trends captured by Be My B and delve into the context behind why these brands are being chosen today.
For some time, the buzzword in the branding industry has always been 'newness.' More provocative collaborations, faster trends, and stranger experiences were considered competitive edges. However, looking at the brands of May this year, a slightly different flow can be observed. Rather than creating something entirely new, brands that reinterpret what has already existed for a long time through the lens of current sensibilities are receiving a much larger response.
The 30-year-old game IP, Pokémon, still drew tens of thousands of people to the heart of Seongsu-dong. The 92-year-old walnut pastry brand, Hak-hwa, became a 'run-to-open' dessert for the younger generation. The 60-year-old publisher, Minumsa, turned the publisher itself into a fandom, while the global outdoor brand, Salomon, shed new light on the old daily routine of Korea's 'backyard mountain culture.' Movie Land is also growing its presence by expanding cinema from simple screening content into a space of taste where people want to linger.
The interesting point is that these brands did not rely solely on nostalgia for the past. Instead of consuming old things blindly like retro fads, they translated them back into the tastes, platforms, and spatial experiences of the current generation. The power to make familiar things feel new. Perhaps the most important competitive edge for brands today is not creating something entirely new, but the ability to rediscover the meaning of what already exists.
The keyword running through the brands of May is 'reinterpretation of the old.' From a 30-year-old game IP to a 90-plus-year-old snack brand and a 60-year-old publisher, these brands did not just stop at repeating past nostalgia. By re-translating old brands into the tastes, platforms, and spatial experiences of the current generation, they have built a new fan base.
Enjoying: 'Pokémon', expanding a 30-year IP into a lifestyle culture
Selected in the 'Enjoying' category, Pokémon once again showed the power of a massive fandom as it celebrated its 30th anniversary. The 'Pokémon Mega Festa 2026' held in Seongsu-dong drew 120,000 visitors a day, causing some events to be suspended, and even drew fans from Japan and China.
The event format was also intriguing. The 'Secret Forest' in Seoul Forest targeted healing experiences in nature, while the 'Ditto Playground' in Seongsu-dong targeted social media authentication culture. At 'Pokémon Run,' 5,000 people ran along the Han River in a Magikarp concept, and the COEX 'Sports Day' stimulated the competitive spirit of the core fandom. It effectively expanded the Pokémon universe into a real-life space, rather than just a simple exhibition.
Pokémon's strength is also evident in its IP extensibility. Collaborations spanning fashion, beauty, food, and sports—such as Spao, Olive Young, SPC Samlip, Lotte Giants, and FC Seoul—followed, with about 230 types of limited-edition merchandise released. The fact that it is an old character but never loses its core regardless of which brand it meets is Pokémon's most powerful weapon.
Above all, Pokémon was not consumed merely for 'memories.' The generation that grew up watching Pokémon is now the 20-30 consumer bracket, and Pokémon has established itself as a lifestyle IP that moves their app usage time, offline paths, and consumption patterns.
Wearing: 'Salomon', re-reading Korean mountain culture
In the 'Wearing' category, Salomon went beyond a simple outdoor brand campaign to shed new light on Korean mountain culture. Together with 'Monthly Mountain' (Wolgan San), which has been recording mountaineering culture for over half a century, they introduced the 'Monthly Salomon' project, translating the sensibility of Korean-style hiking culture into brand content.
The first article, 'People of the Backyard Mountain,' covered the mountain culture in the daily lives of Koreans. It re-examined familiar scenes such as mineral springs, post-hike makgeolli, and neighborhood mountains from the perspective of a global brand. Like the expression, "There is no other city in the world where you can walk 15 minutes after getting off the subway and encounter a rock face," it reinterpreted scenes that were too familiar to be felt as special.
The 'Monthly Salomon Picnic' held at Baegundae on Bukhansan Mountain in mid-May also drew attention. Participants carried cucumbers in their backpacks to share at the summit, and the brand put affection and scenery on the mountain to the forefront instead of its products.
Salomon is strengthening its penetration into the Korean market by recently opening 'Salomon Trail Run Seoul' in Seochon, the world's first store specializing in trail running. However, the more impressive part of this campaign is that it looked into the memories of Korean mountain culture before promoting new products.
Eating: 'Grandma Hak-hwa Walnut Pastry', bringing a 92-year-old brand back into trend
The 'Eating' category choice, Grandma Hak-hwa Walnut Pastry, is the original walnut pastry brand from Cheonan, which began in 1934. Keeping the old spelling 'Hodo' instead of 'Hodu' (walnut) symbolizes that they have carried on the original signage from the time of founding.
Hak-hwa began to attract attention again after its brand renewal in 2022. While maintaining symbols like the checkered packaging, they changed the Chinese character logo to Korean, introduced an Instagram channel, and launched a new dessert line, widening contact points with the younger generation. New menus such as matcha, ang-butter, and stollen walnut pastries also appeared.
The way they run their Instagram is particularly impressive. They compose menu photos and visuals like a magazine and share the new menu development process as content. They also naturally connected with channels familiar to the younger generation, such as the 29CM Seongsu pop-up and a collaboration with Yonsei Milk.
However, even amidst the changes, the standard is clear. It is the principle of "how well it goes with the red bean paste." It shows that the way an old brand survives is not by blindly becoming young, but by connecting with the tastes of the times while maintaining its own uniqueness.
Lingering: 'Movie Land', creating a space of taste
In the 'Lingering' category, Movie Land has emerged as one of the most unique movie spaces in Seongsu-dong. Created by the brand consulting team Mobetterworks, this theater aims to be a 'space to experience stories' rather than a simple screening room.
In May, the special exhibition 'Cherished Flower,' curated by Min Hee-jin, CEO of Okeh Records, garnered significant attention. It screened five films, including 'He and She,' 'Splash,' and 'The 400 Blows,' and was structured with a GV (Guest Visit) session that lasted over two hours after the movies.
Movie Land is interesting because it doesn't stop at just showing movies. Audiences go to experience the tastes and thoughts of the people they like while watching the movies.
The recently published 'Movie Land Making Book' follows the same trend. By recording the process of building the theater, from space design and revenue structure to merchandise planning and customer service operations, they expanded the brand's worldview into a single piece of content.
Using: 'Minumsa', turning the publisher itself into a fandom
In the 'Using' category, Minumsa showed its presence once again this year, marking its 60th anniversary. Despite the stagnation in the book market, it recorded 20.6 billion KRW in revenue and 4.1 billion KRW in operating profit last year.
Minumsa's power does not come simply from a few famous authors. The 'World Literature Collection' series nearing 500 published volumes, steady sellers like 'Demian' and 'Siddhartha,' and books rediscovered over time have consistently accumulated as brand assets.
Recently, the YouTube channel 'Minumsa TV' has been at the center of the buzz. While existing publisher channels were limited to author interviews and new book introductions, Minumsa TV formed a fandom by showing the daily lives of publisher employees in a cheerful way. A prime example is the surge in sales of related books following editor Kim Min-kyung's appearance on the show.
'Minum Book Club' also symbolically shows fandom culture. When recruiting the 16th early-bird members, the server crashed due to a rush of users, and there was even an 'open-run' phenomenon of consumers waiting for limited-edition merchandise and recovered editions.
People no longer just consume books. They also consume the publisher's own tastes, attitudes, and worldview. Minumsa has become the clearest example of how an old publisher can create a brand fandom.
Brand of the Month: 'Pokémon'
The reason Pokémon was selected as the 'Brand of the Month' for May is not just because it is an IP that has survived for a long time. Pokémon has continuously changed the way it is consumed as generations have shifted. Characters that were once on TV animations and Game Boy screens have now naturally entered mobile apps, pop-up stores, running events, fashion collaborations, and sports team merchandise. A brand getting older also means becoming familiar, but Pokémon did not leave that familiarity to become worn out. Characters like Pikachu, Ditto, and Magikarp have become current-tense content that makes people take pictures, wear, collect, and run together, while simultaneously serving as symbols of memories.
Above all, Pokémon does not leave its fandom as mere 'spectators.' People do not move to watch Pokémon, but to enter the Pokémon world for a while. They walk in Seongsu-dong, run along the Han River, look for limited-edition merchandise, and re-select the characters they liked. In this process, Pokémon does not stop at recalling childhood memories; it operates again within today's urban experiences and consumption patterns. This is the reason why a 30-year-old brand can still be powerful. Pokémon does not sell the past. It makes it possible to take out the feelings we once loved in the past and use them again today.