Joint marketing with JYP through April next year

Images of all 6 members applied to fuselage

Routes include Japan, Chinese-speaking markets, Thailand, Vietnam

Limited-edition boarding passes, in-flight greetings and photo cards offered

Eastar Jet has unveiled a special wrapped aircraft featuring images of all six members of girl group NMIXX on its fuselage. The aircraft will operate on international routes to Japan, Chinese-speaking markets, Thailand and Vietnam through April next year. [Eastar Jet]
Eastar Jet has unveiled a special wrapped aircraft featuring images of all six members of girl group NMIXX on its fuselage. The aircraft will operate on international routes to Japan, Chinese-speaking markets, Thailand and Vietnam through April next year. [Eastar Jet]

Eastar Jet is deploying a specially wrapped aircraft bearing images of girl group NMIXX on international routes, extending its reach to overseas fans through K-pop content across everything from the plane's exterior to boarding passes and in-flight announcements.

The airline announced Friday that it has launched an "NMIXX wrapped aircraft" with images of all six members applied to both sides of the fuselage.

The special aircraft is part of a joint marketing campaign with JYP Entertainment tied to NMIXX's sixth mini album "Strange Muse." It will operate through April next year on international routes to Japan, Chinese-speaking markets, Thailand and Vietnam, where demand from overseas fans is particularly strong.

A wrapped aircraft carries images of a specific brand or individual applied to the exterior of the fuselage. Unlike conventional advertising, the aircraft itself serves as a promotional medium.

Eastar Jet is also offering NMIXX-themed content throughout the boarding experience, not just on the plane's exterior.

Since last month, international passengers have received special boarding passes featuring photos and handwritten messages from NMIXX members, while in-flight announcements recorded by the members themselves play during boarding and deplaning.

On select routes, the airline is also giving away limited-edition NMIXX photo cards, rounding out a service designed to let fans encounter their favorite artists throughout the travel experience.

Eastar Jet also aims to attract foreign passengers through the collaboration, connecting NMIXX's overseas fandom with its Japan, Chinese-speaking and Southeast Asian route network to convert interest from K-pop fans at home and abroad into actual ticket sales.

"We launched this wrapped aircraft so that NMIXX fans in Korea and around the world can enjoy meeting NMIXX even while traveling," an Eastar Jet official said. "We will continue to offer customers a unique boarding experience through various collaborations."

The wrapped aircraft's flight schedule and route can be tracked on the flight-tracking site Flightradar24 by searching the registration code HL8717. The aircraft is a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

Meanwhile, Eastar Jet has been expanding its international routes and stepping up efforts to attract foreign passengers. The airline launched a new Busan–Hong Kong route on Oct. 25, followed by a Busan–Xiamen service on Oct. 29.

Foreign passengers on international routes departing Busan rose 171 percent year-on-year in the first 10 months of this year. Eastar Jet plans to launch a Busan–Hangzhou route next month and open Busan–Shanghai and Busan–Beijing services in early next year.


kwater@heraldcorp.com