Snickers leans into K-pop culture for new flavour launch

Snickers is turning up the flavour and cultural heat in Asia with the launch of its new Snickers oats dark chocolate, a variant made with oats, peanuts, nougat, caramel, and a rich dark chocolate coating.

Unveiled at the brand’s recent #SNICKERSOnTheGo pop-up event in Kuala Lumpur, the launch was led by Snickers Asia Brand Ambassador Mingyu, a member of K-pop powerhouse SEVENTEEN.

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Known for his charismatic presence and regional popularity, Mingyu shared his personal pairing ritual for the new variant: “Enjoy Snickers oats dark chocolate with a hot cup of coffee, it’s the ultimate recharge combo.”

The new flavour comes as part of Snickers’ push to expand beyond snacking and into experiential and culturally embedded moments. This time, tapping into the massive influence of K-pop across Asia.

We’re evolving Snickers into experiential spaces, planting ourselves into our consumers’ culture.

"In this instance, K-pop culture,” said Sean Jeong, West Asia general manager of Mars Wrigley. 

The brand is also highlighting wellness-minded cues with the new bar, which comes in two shareable pieces and features half the sugar compared to a regular bar while promising the full Snickers taste. The addition of oats offers a more wholesome take, building on the success of previous innovations like the Snickers almond dark chocolate bar.

“People want uplifting moments in their daily life. We know this variant delivers that and hope Mingyu’s creativity sparks some pairing ideas, starting with his,” added Catherine Yap, Asia marketing director at Mars Wrigley.

The launch reflects Mars Wrigley’s strategy to localise its global brands in ways that resonate with Asian consumers, by integrating pop culture, lifestyle rituals, and creative storytelling into its marketing efforts.

The #SNICKERSOnTheGo pop-up media event at Sunway Pyramid took place between 3 to 6 July and was teased on the brand's social accounts since end April, once Mingyu was announced as Snickers' new Asian brand ambassador. The teaser posts also generated buzz and excitement among K-pop fans, who were able to catch a glimpse of Mingyu during his on-stage appearance. 

Fans and participants were also able to design their own custom Snickers merch such as lanyards, tote bags, and T-shirts at the activation. In the days leading up to the event, Snickers also partnered up with 7-Eleven for a limited-time promotion. With the purchase of any Snickers chocolate worth RM15 at selected 7-Eleven stores between 1 to 31 May, customers were able to redeem a free Mingyu postcard set while stocks lasted. 

Another F&B brand which has been leaning into K-pop culture, is Gong Cha, which announced Stray Kids’ Felix as its new global brand ambassador. The Malaysian rollout for the partnership is currently in motion, with Felix’s visuals being featured on in-store screens, posters and standees.

Gong Cha customers will also soon be greeted by Felix’s voice and image when launching the Gong Cha app to place an order or check loyalty rewards.

Separately, Japanese beer brand Asahi Super Dry has appointed K-Pop sensation, BLACKPINK, as its Super Dry brand ambassador. This landmark partnership is strategically launching across five key markets in East Asia and represents the first occasion in which all members of BLACKPINK have been appointed as ambassadors for a beer brand.

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