Lotte Chilsung Beverage is rolling out a commemorative version of its Chum Churum soju to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary, reviving the original design used at its 2006 launch as it seeks to strengthen its position in the market.
The company said Tuesday the refreshed packaging applies the early label to reinforce the brand’s heritage and to revisit the meaning of “first,” reflected in the product name.
The updated label restores early visual elements such as a young bird and sprout. It also depicts the brand’s key ingredient — bedrock water from the slopes near Daegwallyeong — as a water droplet, underscoring its “smooth soju” identity.
A neck label reading “20th ANNIVERSARY” has been added, and the front highlights the 16-degree alcohol mark.
Lotte Chilsung Beverage lowered the alcohol content in July last year to 16 degrees from 16.5, a 0.5-degree cut, citing growing consumer demand for smoother soju. The company said it was the first change since a 2021 reduction. The product uses 100% bedrock water, adds rice-distilled spirits and blends in allulose, a natural sweetener.
The company also pointed to strong results from hands-on marketing aimed at promoting its “100% bedrock water” message. The Chum Churum Brand Experience Center at its Gangneung plant has drawn more than 35,000 cumulative visitors since opening in April 2023, a company official said, with activities such as making personalized glasses and mixing soju cocktails gaining popularity through word of mouth.
“Going forward, we will continue active marketing to promote the differentiated smoothness made with 100% bedrock water from Daegwallyeong,” a Lotte Chilsung Beverage official said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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