The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 1983–1994
Pepero Day: the consumer tradition that made Lotte's snack a national event
A middle school girl exchanged Pepero sticks with friends on November 11. The tradition spread across Korea. Lotte's snack became a national holiday.
Lotte Wellfood · 1994-11-11
What happened
Lotte Confectionery launched Pepero in 1983. It was a thin cookie stick dipped in compound chocolate, similar to Pocky. The product was a modest success but nothing suggested it would become a cultural phenomenon. Lotte was a large confectionery company, but Pepero was just one of many products in its portfolio.
In 1994, a middle school girl in the Yeongnam district of South Korea exchanged Pepero sticks with her friends on November 11. The date 11/11 resembled four Pepero sticks standing together. They wished each other to 'become tall and skinny.' The tradition spread by word of mouth across Korea, with no involvement from Lotte.
Lotte noticed the grassroots tradition and embraced it with marketing campaigns. By 2016, cumulative Pepero sales reached 1.1 trillion won. Approximately 60% of annual Pepero sales occur around Pepero Day. Daily sales on Pepero Day are about 84 times higher than usual. A consumer-created tradition became Lotte's biggest marketing success.
Why it happened
- Pepero Day was started by a middle school girl and her friends, not by Lotte — the company had no role in creating the tradition.
- The date November 11 (11/11) was chosen because it resembles Pepero sticks, not because of a marketing strategy.
- Lotte only capitalized on the tradition after it had already spread across Korea — the company benefited from a consumer-created phenomenon.
The lesson
Lotte launched Pepero in 1983. A middle school girl exchanged them on November 11 in 1994. The tradition spread across Korea. Lotte embraced it. Pepero Day became a national event.
Sources
- Sportsseoul (11 Nov 2013) — Pepero Day: the schoolgirl tradition behind Korea's snack holiday (via Wayback Machine)
- The Wall Street Journal Korea RealTime (11 Nov 2013) — On Pepero Day, a Japanese rival lurks (via Wayback Machine)
- Pepero — Wikipedia (origin, Pepero Day, consumer tradition, sales)
- Lotte Wellfood — Wikipedia (company history, founding)
spotted an error? The club wants to know.
More like this
Samyang Buldak: the spicy noodles that TikTok made famous
Nongshim's supplier put a carcinogen in its ramen seasoning — the recall took four months
Genesis G80: a loose ground bolt that stalls the engine at speed
Somewhere, someone solved the problem this company failed at. 2nd Opinion →
Comments · 0
Sign in to join the comments.