Best South Korea Marketing Campaigns: Gangnam to BTS
The best South Korea marketing campaigns include PSY's Gangnam Style (2012), McDonald's BTS Meal (2021) and Netflix's Squid Game launch (2021). Gangnam Style became the first video to reach one billion YouTube views, the BTS Meal ran in about 50 markets and helped lift McDonald's global same-store sales 40.5% in the second quarter of 2021, and Netflix reported 111 million accounts watched Squid Game in its first weeks.
By the Everything-PR Editorial Team Published November 2, 2026. Last updated November 2, 2026.
What is the quick summary of these Korean campaigns?
Gangnam Style was the first video to pass one billion YouTube views, on December 21, 2012, according to Guinness World Records.
McDonald's reported global same-store sales up 40.5% in the second quarter of 2021 and credited the BTS Meal, among other factors.
Netflix said Squid Game reached 111 million accounts in its first weeks, a figure it later revised to 142 million in a shareholder letter, according to Guinness World Records.
Which are the best South Korea marketing campaigns?
The three cases below were chosen for a documented date, a named brand and a figure reported by the company or a news outlet. The order is chronological, not a ranking. Three cases is a short list by design, because each one carries a verifiable number.
Campaign
Brand or artist
Year
Core idea
Reported result
Gangnam Style
PSY
2012
A satirical dance video that traveled on YouTube
First video to reach one billion views
BTS Meal
McDonald's, BTS
2021
A celebrity order with custom packaging and app content
About 50 markets; Q2 comp sales up 40.5%
Squid Game launch
Netflix
2021
A Korean series pushed as a global launch
111 million accounts, later 142 million
How did Gangnam Style become the first video to reach a billion views?
Gangnam Style became the first video to reach a billion views by spreading across YouTube in 159 days after its July 15, 2012 release. It registered 1,000,382,639 views on December 21, 2012, according to Guinness World Records' entry, which also notes that it overtook Justin Bieber's "Baby" as the most viewed video on November 24, 2012.
YouTube said on its official blog that the video was the top rising search of 2012 and that on October 6 it saw more than five million searches for "gangnam style" in a single day. The video satirizes the habits of wealthy residents of Seoul's Gangnam district and features a horse-riding dance, according to Bloomberg. YG Entertainment distributed it, according to Wikipedia's summary. The campaign was not a planned brand advertisement, so it is included here as a case of a Korean creative idea reaching a global audience.
The marketing lesson is that a simple, copyable idea travels. A dance anyone could imitate gave audiences a way to take part.
How did McDonald's BTS Meal work as a global campaign?
McDonald's BTS Meal worked as a global campaign by turning a limited-edition order into a fan event in about 50 markets, with purple packaging and app-exclusive content. The meal launched on May 26, 2021 with 10 Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, a drink and two dipping sauces, according to a Yahoo Malaysia report. CEO Chris Kempczinski described it on the company's earnings call as taking the Famous Order program global, with custom packaging and app-exclusive content.
McDonald's reported global same-store sales up 40.5% in the second quarter of 2021 and up 6.9% against the second quarter of 2019, with systemwide sales up 48%, according to QSR Web's earnings coverage. The company credited the BTS Meal and a new crispy chicken sandwich. Reuters also cited larger order sizes and menu price increases, and the AP noted that the 2020 comparison was a pandemic low, so the BTS Meal was one factor among several. McDonald's Korea reported Chicken McNuggets sales up 250% in the first four weeks, according to Soompi, and McDonald's Philippines reported nearly one million BTS Meal orders in five days, according to the Manila Bulletin.
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The marketing lesson is to design for the fans. Packaging that people kept and reused extended the campaign beyond the meal.
How did Netflix launch Squid Game as a global hit?
Netflix launched Squid Game as a global hit by releasing all nine episodes on September 17, 2021 and by promoting the milestone publicly when viewing passed its previous record. The company said on October 12 that 111 million accounts had watched, beating the 82 million accounts for Bridgerton in its first 28 days, according to CNN Business.
Netflix counts an account as a viewer after two minutes of watching, and the figures were not independently verified, according to CNN. Netflix later revised the figure to 142 million households in a shareholder letter, according to Guinness World Records, which also cites Bloomberg's estimate of nearly $900 million in value generated from a $21.4 million budget. Netflix also marked the 111 million milestone with a video thanking viewers and inviting others to "join the game", according to Slashfilm.
The marketing lesson is to announce momentum. Publishing the number gave journalists and audiences a reason to try the show.
What do these Korean campaigns have in common?
The three cases share five traits that other brands can copy:
A simple, imitable idea, such as a dance or a meal order.
Fan participation, from dance covers to saved purple packaging.
Platforms as distribution: YouTube, McDonald's app and Netflix did the spreading.
Public numbers that announce momentum.
Honest caveats. The BTS Meal shared credit with other factors, and Netflix's viewing counts are company figures.
Where can you read more Korea PR and marketing coverage?
On December 21, 2012, 159 days after upload, with 1,000,382,639 views, according to Guinness World Records.
What was in the McDonald's BTS Meal?
Ten Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, a drink and sweet chili and Cajun dipping sauces, launched on May 26, 2021 in about 50 markets.
Did the BTS Meal cause McDonald's sales growth?
McDonald's credited it as one driver of 40.5% global same-store sales growth in Q2 2021. Reuters also cited larger orders and price increases, and AP noted an easy pandemic comparison.
How many people watched Squid Game in its first month?
Netflix first said 111 million accounts, then revised the figure to 142 million households in October 2021, counting accounts that watched at least two minutes.
What can brands learn from Korean campaigns?
Make the idea easy to copy, give fans a way to participate, use platforms for distribution and publish credible numbers with caveats.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
