Lotte Chilsung Beverage announced Friday that its soju brand Saero has surpassed 1.3 billion bottles in cumulative sales — based on the standard 360-milliliter bottle — just four years after its launch.
That works out to an average of about 840,000 bottles sold per day since the brand's debut. Lined up end to end, the bottles — each 20.5 centimeters tall and 6.3 centimeters wide — would stretch more than twice around the Earth, which measures roughly 40,000 kilometers in circumference.
Saero launched as a zero-sugar soju, made without fructose and marketed for its smooth taste. It crossed 50 million bottles in cumulative sales within about four months of launch, then surpassed 100 million bottles roughly seven months in. By late July last year, just ahead of its third anniversary, the brand had recorded 700 million bottles sold.
Saero's brand ambassador is a fictional character called "Saero Gumi," which also drew attention. The brand has been credited with breaking away from the celebrity-endorsement model typical in the soju industry and building its own distinctive identity.
A range of marketing efforts added to the brand's popularity. A pop-up store called "Saero Jungang Bangmulgwan" — a museum-themed experience — ran from March 21 through early April this year and drew more than 13,000 visitors in total. Sixty-six videos released on YouTube and other platforms have accumulated 180 million views combined.
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