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With news that G-Dragon will be coming to Hanoi in June 2025, F&B brands are quickly jumping on the bandwagon to welcome the BIGBANG leader. The image of the "daisy with missing petals" on his lightstick is being used by brands to connect with fans. This event promises to create a buzz not only among fans but also in the Hanoi food and beverage industry.
A coffee and pastry brand quickly caught on to the trend by launching a special series of pastries topped with daisy-shaped flowers. Instead of taking the easy way out like many other brands – simply selecting a representative product to use as a bud and attaching petals using modern editing software – this shop took a bolder approach, deciding to transform all its products into petalless daisies, similar to G-Dragon's lightstick.
The lightstick featuring a daisy with missing petals has been a source of inspiration for many brands.
The cafe's unique and creative approach, featuring a collection of cakes to welcome G-Dragon.
Specifically, they drew on cakes, created shapes with croissants and macarons, and even molded daisy-shaped chocolates to decorate macarons.
Many other stores and brands quickly jumped on the bandwagon with unique poster designs. Images featuring chrysanthemum symbols or slogans subtly alluding to "Mr. Long" flooded social media platforms. Posters shaped like burgers, tapioca pearls, sweet potatoes, and cups adorned with tiny flowers all attracted the attention of young people.
The appeal of BIGBANG's leader is undeniable.
Besides creating designs directly on the products, many other brands have jumped on the "Long" trend with humorous collages associated with food and drinks. Notably, there's a picture of a flower created from 8 glasses of ice-cold draft beer, with a plate of perfectly cooked boiled peanuts in the middle. These unique contents quickly spread across social media.
The spicy noodle brand Sasin made an impressive move to join the trend with a cleverly crafted image of G-Dragon's signature asymmetrical chrysanthemum flower made from eggs and noodles. This heartfelt and creative way of following the trend quickly attracted a lot of interaction, as it was both humorous and perfectly timed.
Spicy noodle brand makes an impressive move in catching the trend.
Meanwhile, Universal Tea (U:Tea) didn't just stop at "calling out Long's name," but went even further with a charming play on words: a 20% discount on the oolong tea menu if customers read the code "em anh Long" (Long's younger sibling).
Within just a few hours of launching the promotion, U:Tea's post received a huge amount of interaction, proving the appeal of the trend-following content that was both creative and sophisticated, and also very generous in its promotional offer.
The unique and creative designs not only attract attention but also touch the hearts of fans, creating a strong wave of positive response. Many people have been amazed and impressed by the products, which are not only sophisticated and bear the distinctive mark of their idol but also possess outstanding aesthetics and creativity. Under online posts, hundreds of comments express delight and admiration: "Absolutely stunning, you can tell it's a genuine G-Dragon fan!", "I want to take pictures even before eating!", or "This is so cool, they're following the trend so well!".
This widespread interest not only demonstrates G-Dragon's appeal but also reflects how Vietnamese brands have skillfully connected with consumers' emotions through personalized products.
This enthusiastic attention not only confirms the undeniable appeal of G-Dragon – a cultural icon with profound influence – but also reflects a noteworthy trend: Vietnamese brands have been skillfully connecting with consumers' emotions by creating highly personalized products, fully leveraging the unique fandom culture. This is clear evidence of Vietnamese businesses' ability to understand customer psychology and their keen grasp of market trends.
The F&B (food and beverage) industry is increasingly demonstrating incredible responsiveness and flexibility in its approach to customers. In particular, creative trend-following marketing has become an effective strategy, helping brands create a huge buzz. From meticulously designing posters inspired by idols to creating dishes based on iconic fandom symbols, cafes and restaurants have transformed trends that were once thought to exist only on social media into unique culinary experiences.
