K-pop idols team up with Tinyping, Pokemon, Care Bears for fandom reach

K-pop idols team up with Tinyping, Pokemon, Care Bears for fandom reach: K-POP / 연합뉴스 / 2025-10-07 08:12:34

▲ Collaboration works between K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts and the main characters of hit animated film “Catch! Tinyping" appear in this composite still provided by SM Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- K-pop stars are increasingly joining forces with popular animated characters in a bid to reach younger and more diverse global audiences.

In the rookie girl group Hearts2Hearts’ single “Style,” the members themselves are nowhere to be seen. Instead, characters from the hit children’s animation “Catch! Tinyping” appear throughout the video.

The “Tinyping version” of “Style,” produced separately from the official music video, features animated versions of the group’s eight members, collectively called “Hatuha-ping.” In the video, the characters meet Tinyping’s heroine Hachuping and help her find her own style while building friendship.

Since its release on June 30, the video has attracted more than 4.15 million views.

According to industry sources on Tuesday, collaborations between K-pop artists and popular character franchises have been increasing in recent months.

Following “Style,” Hearts2Hearts released another single, “Pretty Please,” on Sept. 24, this time teaming up with the globally beloved Pokemon franchise.

▲ K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts pose with Pikachu, one of the main characters of the beloved Pokemon franchise, in this photo provided by SM Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The music video for “Pretty Please” features Pokemon characters such as Pikachu, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile, which also appear in the upcoming game “Pokemon Legends Z-A.” The group even performed alongside Pokemon characters during music show stages.

An SM Entertainment official said, “The collaboration between ‘Style’ and Tinyping helped the group build strong connections with teenage and younger fans. For ‘Pretty Please,’ we wanted to tap into Pokemon’s global influence and expand the group’s presence among the vast gaming and character fandom.”

Beyond simple endorsements, character and game brands now work with artists to create new content and merchandise based on shared storytelling. Entertainment agencies, in turn, see these collaborations as opportunities to gain new loyal audiences.

“In the past, collaborations mainly focused on merchandise sales,” the SM official added. “Now, the priority is branding and fandom expansion that can open up entirely new markets.”

Girl group ILLIT, under HYBE’s Belift Lab, also joined forces with the iconic “Care Bears” for their Japanese debut single “Tokiyo Tomare,” released last month to mark the character franchise’s 43rd anniversary.

▲ This poster provided by Belift Lab promotes ILLIT's Japanese debut single "Tokiyo Tomare." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

ILLIT issued a limited “Care Bears version” of the single and released co-branded merchandise. The Care Bears team said, “ILLIT members bring together different colors and positive energy, just like the Care Bears who spread happiness and hope.”

A Belift Lab representative noted, “K-pop fans today value emotional engagement and experiential consumption beyond just music. Collaborations with characters allow artists to connect with fans of various ages and cultures.”

Such cross-industry collaborations are expected to continue. Last year, boy group Riize worked with DreamWorks’ “Good Luck Trolls,” and in July, girl group Le Sserafim unveiled a Japanese music video for their single “Kawaii,” featuring Sanrio characters.

An industry insider said, “Collaborations between different intellectual properties appeal not only to fandoms but also to the experience-driven MZ generation. They expand the artist’s world and message beyond music and performance, helping to establish them as lasting cultural icons.”