Tensions are flaring between Ador, the agency of girl group NewJeans, and Team Bunnies, a segment of the group's fandom, over a pop-up store event scheduled to open in Seoul on May 1.
On Friday, Team Bunnies posted promotional images and a survey related to a pop-up event for Indonesian instant noodle brand Indomie on social media platform X — even before Indomie or Ador had officially announced the event. The survey requested personal information such as name, phone number and email addresses.
The following day, Ador confirmed via social media that NewJeans are currently advertising models for Indomie and indirectly criticized the fan account for collecting personal information.
“The upcoming Indomie Mi Goreng pop-up store is an official event organized by the partner company under Ador’s prior approval. However, we have not requested or been involved in any promotional activities or the collection of personal information through fan accounts," the agency said.
"We have confirmed movements where some fan accounts and communities are collecting personal information under the pretext of a preregistration survey. We ask fans to be cautious not to suffer any damages."
After Ador’s announcement sparked controversy, Team Bunnies responded immediately by stating, "We would like to clarify the facts. On April 23, the brand contacted Team Bunnies expressing their intention to inform Bunnies first that there would be a limited quantity of products available for a limited time during May."
"They proposed offering online sales first for fans’ convenience so that Bunnies and all NewJeans fans would not have to visit the pop-up store in person. Based on the demand survey, they planned to adjust the allocation of available quantities for online sale," Team Bunnies said.
They also emphasized that no data, except the quantity of purchases, would be provided to any third-party institution outside of Team Bunnies.
“The information collected is solely for the purpose of the demand survey and sending emails, and all information will be destroyed within seven days after completing the survey," Team Bunnies added.
In November, NewJeans declared the termination of its exclusive contract with Ador — citing breach of trust — and began pursuing independent activities. Ador responded in January by requesting an injunction to preserve its status as the group's agency and to prohibit the members from signing independent advertising contracts.
On April 15, the court ruled in favor of Ador. Although NewJeans members filed an objection against the court's decision to ban independent activities, their request was dismissed. They have since appealed the ruling.
jaaykim@heraldcorp.com
