OLIVE YOUNG Launches Largest-Ever Sanrio Characters Collaboration, Bringing a Local Korean Twist to the Campaign

press release

OLIVE YOUNG Launches Largest-Ever Sanrio Characters Collaboration, Bringing a Local Korean Twist to the Campaign

2026.08.24

5min

Running for one month from August 30 to September 30, this year’s campaign is themed “OLIVE YOUNG City Log.” For the campaign, OLIVE YOUNG has developed original visual assets featuring Sanrio Characters exploring Korea’s cities and enjoying local lifestyles. By adding a distinctly Korean local touch to the content, OLIVE YOUNG aims to offer customers in Korea and around the world a fresh and engaging shopping experience.

The campaign’s designs incorporate a range of current trends tailored to the tastes of OLIVE YOUNG’s core 15 to 29-year-old customer base. These include school uniforms, the pixel graphics that have recently gained popularity, and streetwear featuring leopard prints.

OLIVE YOUNG has also created a “Hanbok Hello Kitty,” inspired by the growing interest among international visitors in experiencing hanbok, Korea’s traditional attire. The design incorporates traditional Korean colors and distinctive elements of hanbok into the character’s look.

The campaign will also feature location-specific assets inspired by 12 destinations across Korea: Gangneung, Gongju, Gimcheon, Daegwallyeong, Daejeon, Boseong, Busan, Seoul, Suwon, Yeonggwang, Udo, and Jeonju. Each design incorporates a local specialty associated with its region, such as Jeonju bibimbap, Gongju chestnuts, and Udo peanuts.

These assets will be featured not only on collaboration products and merchandise, but also across store exteriors and photo zones at select locations. Visitors from Korea and abroad will be able to experience OLIVE YOUNG stores transformed with designs unique to each region, turning the stores themselves into destinations to explore as part of their travels.

Building on these new creative assets, OLIVE YOUNG has expanded this year’s Sanrio Characters collaboration to its largest scale yet. A total of 81 brands will participate, a 170% increase from last year, with the number of collaboration products growing 50% to 321. The scope of the collaboration has also expanded beyond beauty into wellness and lifestyle.

The campaign will also reach more customers through an expanded retail footprint.

Collaboration products will be available not only in Korea but across all regions served by the OLIVE YOUNG Global Mall. They will also be made available through OLIVE YOUNG’s newly opened U.S. stores and online store.

The expansion builds on the strong results of last year’s campaign. During the Sanrio Characters “Tanning Edition” campaign in July 2025, participating brands saw their sales increase by 60% year over year, while the campaign’s pop-up store welcomed 33,000 visitors over three weeks, the highest attendance recorded for an OLIVE YOUNG pop-up at the time. Notably, 33% of OLIVE YOUNG members aged 15–29 purchased collaboration products during the campaign, demonstrating how strong interest among the retailer’s core customer base translated into actual purchases.

This year, OLIVE YOUNG will once again use the collaboration as an opportunity to drive mutual growth with its partner brands. OLIVE YOUNG will cover the full cost of the IP licensing fees, enabling small and midsize K-beauty and wellness partners with limited resources or infrastructure to focus on product development. With sales channels now expanded to all regions of the OLIVE YOUNG Global Mall as well as OLIVE YOUNG’s online and offline stores in the U.S., participating brands are expected to benefit not only from increased sales, but also from greater awareness and visibility among customers worldwide.

“Building on the proven success of last year’s collaboration with Sanrio Characters, we have developed an evolved campaign this year by leveraging OLIVE YOUNG’s expertise in trend analysis and its design capabilities,” said an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “We will continue to expand our collaborations beyond beauty into wellness and lifestyle, strengthening a model that enables us to grow together with an even broader range of partner brands.”

CJ OLIVE YOUNG announced today that it will launch a large-scale collaboration campaign with Sanrio Characters, a globally popular character IP (intellectual property), following the success of last year’s campaign. Running for one month from August 30 to September 30, this year’s campaign is themed “OLIVE YOUNG City Log.” For the campaign, OLIVE YOUNG has developed original visual assets featuring Sanrio Characters exploring Korea’s cities and enjoying local lifestyles. By adding a distinctly Korean local touch to the content, OLIVE YOUNG aims to offer customers in Korea and around the world a fresh and engaging shopping experience. The campaign’s designs incorporate a range of current trends tailored to the tastes of OLIVE YOUNG’s core 15 to 29-year-old customer base. These include school uniforms, the pixel graphics that have recently gained popularity, and streetwear featuring leopard prints. OLIVE YOUNG has also created a “Hanbok Hello Kitty,” inspired by the growing interest among international visitors in experiencing hanbok, Korea’s traditional attire. The design incorporates traditional Korean colors and distinctive elements of hanbok into the character’s look. The campaign will also feature location-specific assets inspired by 12 destinations across Korea: Gangneung, Gongju, Gimcheon, Daegwallyeong, Daejeon, Boseong, Busan, Seoul, Suwon, Yeonggwang, Udo, and Jeonju. Each design incorporates a local specialty associated with its region, such as Jeonju bibimbap, Gongju chestnuts, and Udo peanuts. These assets will be featured not only on collaboration products and merchandise, but also across store exteriors and photo zones at select locations. Visitors from Korea and abroad will be able to experience OLIVE YOUNG stores transformed with designs unique to each region, turning the stores themselves into destinations to explore as part of their travels. Building on these new creative assets, OLIVE YOUNG has expanded this year’s Sanrio Characters collaboration to its largest scale yet. A total of 81 brands will participate, a 170% increase from last year, with the number of collaboration products growing 50% to 321. The scope of the collaboration has also expanded beyond beauty into wellness and lifestyle. The campaign will also reach more customers through an expanded retail footprint. Collaboration products will be available not only in Korea but across all regions served by the OLIVE YOUNG Global Mall. They will also be made available through OLIVE YOUNG’s newly opened U.S. stores and online store. The expansion builds on the strong results of last year’s campaign. During the Sanrio Characters “Tanning Edition” campaign in July 2025, participating brands saw their sales increase by 60% year over year, while the campaign’s pop-up store welcomed 33,000 visitors over three weeks, the highest attendance recorded for an OLIVE YOUNG pop-up at the time. Notably, 33% of OLIVE YOUNG members aged 15–29 purchased collaboration products during the campaign, demonstrating how strong interest among the retailer’s core customer base translated into actual purchases. This year, OLIVE YOUNG will once again use the collaboration as an opportunity to drive mutual growth with its partner brands. OLIVE YOUNG will cover the full cost of the IP licensing fees, enabling small and midsize K-beauty and wellness partners with limited resources or infrastructure to focus on product development. With sales channels now expanded to all regions of the OLIVE YOUNG Global Mall as well as OLIVE YOUNG’s online and offline stores in the U.S., participating brands are expected to benefit not only from increased sales, but also from greater awareness and visibility among customers worldwide. “Building on the proven success of last year’s collaboration with Sanrio Characters, we have developed an evolved campaign this year by leveraging OLIVE YOUNG’s expertise in trend analysis and its design capabilities,” said an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “We will continue to expand our collaborations beyond beauty into wellness and lifestyle, strengthening a model that enables us to grow together with an even broader range of partner brands.”