Top Advertising Models of 2024: NewJeans at #3, and the No.1 Spot Goes to an Undisputed Icon!

Son Heung-min has been named the top advertising model of 2024, beating out notable names like NewJeans and Lim Young-woong. The Asia Brand Research Institute announced on January 23 that Son ranked first in the "2024 Most Impactful Advertising Models" category of the K-Brand Index.

The K-Brand Index evaluates South Korea’s representative brands by analyzing data across trends, media, social platforms, and communities. This metric is derived from a big data analysis system developed collaboratively by the Asia Brand Research Institute and domestic and international research teams, excluding weighted biases toward positive or negative factors for higher reliability.

The advertising model category was determined by analyzing approximately 8.8 billion pieces of online data collected from January 1 to December 31, 2023. The study covered 30 candidates selected from the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation’s preference survey.

Son Heung-min claimed the top spot, followed by Lim Young-woong, NewJeans, SEVENTEEN, Byeon Woo-seok, IU, Yoo Jae-suk, aespa, BLACKPINK, and Kim Ji-won in the Top 10. Han Jung-geun, the head of the Asia Brand Research Institute, commented, “2024 was a challenging year for many due to various societal issues and conflicts. We hope that in 2025, Korea’s global standing will be further elevated through Hallyu content.”

Established in 2016, the Asia Brand Research Institute provides global brand evaluation and consulting services. It also hosts the annual “K-Brand Awards,” honoring key figures and companies.

Son Heung-min Dominates Sports Star Brand Reputation Rankings

In addition to his advertising achievements, Son Heung-min also ranked first in the sports star brand reputation rankings.

The Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute analyzed approximately 78.95 million pieces of data related to sports stars from December 21, 2023, to January 21, 2024. This marked a 10.65% decrease compared to the previous dataset of 88.36 million.

The rankings were calculated using consumer behavior data to measure indices such as participation, media, communication, and community impact, culminating in the brand reputation index. By incorporating recommendation indices and other detailed metrics, the study ensured high reliability.

The January 2025 sports star brand reputation rankings featured Son Heung-min at the top, followed by Ryu Hyun-jin, Kim Do-young, Kim Min-jae, Lee Dae-ho, Hwang Hee-chan, Kim Ha-sung, Seo Jang-hoon, Lee Jung-hoo, Park Ji-sung, and other prominent figures like Kim Yuna, Kim Yeon-koung, and Park Chan-ho.

Son Heung-min’s continued dominance in both advertising and sports highlights his unparalleled influence as a global icon representing South Korea.