The popular cookie brand is joining forces with the world-famous K-pop group BTS for a marketing collaboration that taps into consumers’ increasing appetite for international flavors.
The parent company of the cookie brand, Mondelez, announced Tuesday that BTS-inspired cookies will launch online June 1 and arrive in retail locations June 8. The special edition treats feature purple wafers as a tribute to the musical group’s iconic color and will be available in over 80 global markets, representing the brand’s largest collaboration ever.
The musical group created 13 unique designs for the wafer surfaces, featuring the seven band members’ names and a drawing of the light stick that supporters wave during BTS performances.
The cream filling inside the sandwich cookies was developed to replicate the flavor of hotteok, a sweet Korean street snack consisting of warm pancakes filled with brown sugar.
“For Oreo to be the first snacking brand we’ve collaborated with globally is a huge honor. We ate them as kids, we eat them in the studio and now Oreo is helping us share a taste of home with the world,” BTS said in a statement.
The BTS-themed cookies will have a limited production run. The Chicago-headquartered company Mondelez declined to reveal the quantity being manufactured.
The company’s chief marketing and sales officer, Martin Renaud, explained that the BTS cookies achieve a careful balance between honoring Korean traditions and cuisine while maintaining the brand’s established taste profile.
“You want to be authentic, you want to be differentiated and live an experience. But when you are Oreo, you need to be pleasing a large group of people,” Renaud told The Associated Press. “You cannot come up with something that will be liked only by 20% of the population because it would alienate some of our customers.”
According to Renaud, the company invested approximately two years in creating the BTS cookie, ultimately testing three potential flavors before choosing hotteok.
“I think Korean food is an incredible cuisine. I’m French, maybe I should not say that, but I believe it,” Renaud joked.
The BTS cookies debut during a period when shoppers are showing greater enthusiasm for trying new and genuine international cuisines and tastes. Food and beverage consulting firm Datassential reports that U.S. dining establishments offering global flavors — particularly Asian and South American varieties — have been expanding their market presence since 2019. Meanwhile in Europe, West African restaurants are experiencing growing popularity.
Social media platforms are driving this international flavor movement. More than 11,700 TikTok videos currently use the hashtag “hotteok.” Exploring global foods or attempting to prepare them offers a low-risk and affordable method to experience different cultures, according to Russell Zwanka, who leads the food marketing program at Western Michigan University.
“You can experience the world without spending $2,000 on a ticket,” Zwanka said.
Food delivery apps and specialty markets like the Asian supermarket chain H Mart have simplified access to international cuisine for consumers, he noted.
“People have a much more proactive stance on trying to find flavors they can attribute to certain regions of the world,” Zwanka said. “I think that’s beautiful. It’s way the world should be.”
The cookie brand has previously collaborated with Coca-Cola, singer and actress Selena Gomez, and the K-pop girl band Blackpink, among other partnerships. The company also releases region-specific limited flavors, such as cherry sakura in Japan and red bean paste in China.
BTS has extensive experience with food industry partnerships. The group collaborated with McDonalds in 2021 for a worldwide meal campaign across 50 countries. BTS also joined with Korean food manufacturers Paldo and Hy to create Arih, a product line of noodles and beverages available at Walmart.
Renaud noted that collaborations and creative, unique flavors help the cookie brand attract consumers beyond traditional family demographics.
“We want to be making sure we also keep our older children and Gen Zs and keep the brand up to date,” he said.
The company is currently developing future partnerships, though Renaud indicated they may not match the scale of the BTS collaboration.
“We’re not obsessed to be more, more, more, more, markets. I think if we can, yes, let’s go for it,” he said. “But the key point is we need to be really resonating with the local culture.”
