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CU to Launch GD PEECE MINUSONE Highball on April 30 / Photo: BGF Retail Provided |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] Convenience store chain CU has announced the release of its first alcoholic product, the GD PEECE MINUSONE Highball, utilizing G-Dragon's fashion brand, PEECE MINUSONE. This launch marks the brand's debut into the beverage industry.
PEECE MINUSONE, a street fashion brand launched by G-Dragon in 2016, is known for its logo featuring a daisy, which symbolizes peace and hope. While PEECE MINUSONE has collaborated with various global brands in the past, this is its first foray into the alcohol market.
The PEECE MINUSONE Highball is crafted with a wine base, reflecting G-Dragon's known passion for wine. The product includes fresh lemon slices shaped like daisies, embodying the brand’s signature logo.
The packaging design was also personally overseen by G-Dragon, featuring a unique pattern of the PEECE MINUSONE name against a black background, adding collectible value. The initial release will consist of a limited run of 880,000 cans, reflecting G-Dragon’s favorite number, “8.” The production is handled by Brooguru, known for its fresh lemon highballs.
BGF Retail’s Liquor Team MD Jang Joo-hyun shared, “We spent about four months developing the product to capture the artist's unique sensibility. We’ve already received export inquiries from several countries, and we aim to make this product available to a wider range of consumers.”
CU has seen a significant increase in highball sales since launching its fresh lemon highball series last year. Sales of highballs have tripled compared to the previous year, with their share of the overall alcoholic beverage revenue rising from 4.0% to 11.3%.
Celebrity ventures into the alcohol industry have been gaining momentum. Earlier, singer Park Jae-bum founded Wonsoju in 2022, launching distilled soju that gained widespread attention. Singer Sung Si-kyung introduced Gyeongtakju 12%, a makgeolli brand that quickly sold out. Former Sistar member Soyou also launched her brand So&You, offering whiskey-based and Chinese liquor-based canned highballs.
AlphaBIZ Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
