Boxes of Pepero, a biscuit-stick snack covered in chocolate, are stacked at a supermarket in Seoul's Yongsan District, Sunday, about a week ahead of Pepero Day, which annually falls on Nov. 11. Yonhap
The month of November here typically sees a spike in the sales of Pepero, a biscuit-stick snack covered in chocolate, as "Pepero Day," Nov. 11, approaches.
This local celebration is like a lighthearted version of Valentine's Day — which Koreans also celebrate. Koreans exchange Pepero snacks with friends, lovers, co-workers and family members.
However, some also criticized the practice, saying that Pepero Day is a mere tactic created by certain confectionery companies and retail industries.
Is the widespread claim that Pepero Day was created by the industry really true?
The first media record of Pepero Day can be found in an article published in November 1996.
The article says that around this time, the playful tradition of calling Nov. 11 Pepero Day every year was popular among teenage girls in North Gyeongsang Province.
On Nov. 11, when the number "1" is repeated four times, people exchanged Pepero gifts and wished each other to be “slim and skinny like Pepero snacks.”
Based on this phenomenon, Lotte Wellfood, formerly Lotte Confectionery, which manufactures Pepero, began to use the name Pepero Day on Nov. 11 of the following year, distributing Pepero for free in big cities.
"It was a long time ago, so there is no data left (about the background of the tradition)," a Lotte Wellfood official said, confirming, "It is not a culture created at the company level."
In the mid-1990s, the company's sales staff in South Gyeongsang Province found it strange that Pepero sales increased every November, so they reported it to the headquarters. Lotte then later began to use the term Pepero Day.
Although the company's massive marketing popularized the tradition, making it spread and go viral nationwide, Pepero Day is a unique anniversary created by consumers and developed by the confectionery and retail industry, according to industry insiders.
"Other snack-related anniversaries such as Valentine's Day are limited to lovers, but Pepero Day was relatively easy to establish because of its wide range of meaning and target age groups," the official explained.
Encouraged by the success of Pepero Day, the confectionery and distribution industry introduced many "Day" gimmicks and promotions.
For instance, "triangle gimbap day" was briefly observed on March 3, and "whale rice day" was attempted on Dec. 12, in a bit to promote sales of “whale rice” biscuits, because the shape of Dec. 12 and the number 12 on the side resembled a whale. But neither of the two came to any success.
Pepero Day is also noteworthy in that it is a domestic anniversary that was later exported overseas.
According to the Japan Anniversary Association, Japan also celebrates Nov. 11 every year as Pocky and Pretz Day.
Ezaki Glico designated Nov. 11 as “Pocky and Pretz Day” and received a certification from the Japan Anniversary Association in 1999.
Meanwhile, Korea saw the full-fledged marketing of Pepero in 1997 by Lotte Wellfood, making it a leader in the celebration of the snack's anniversary well ahead of other markets.
A Pepero advertisement is on display on a giant LED at TSX Broadway in Times Square, New York, in this undated photo. Lotte Wellfood is promoting Pepero Day, which falls on Nov. 11 every year in Korea, via digital advertisement overseas from Oct. 21 to Nov. 11. Courtesy of Lotte Wellfood
This year, the company seeks to promote the local tradition worldwide.
Lotte Wellfood has introduced digital advertisements on the giant LED of the TSX Broadway building in Times Square in New York City, starting Oct. 21 until this year's Pepero Day.
This is the second time the company put up a Pepero advertisement in Times Square.
Under the slogan "Show your love with Pepero," the video features the K-pop group NewJeans, the brand's ambassador, preparing for Pepero Day.
The Pepero advertisement was also released in downtown Los Angeles, Korea Town and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, ahead of Pepero Day.
Pepero is currently being exported to about 50 countries, and during the first half of this year, its export sales stood at 32.5 billion won ($23.2 million), going ahead of domestic sales for the first time.