Launching an Online Direct Co-Marketing Campaign Targeting the Record-Breaking KBO Fandom
A joint promotion linking with the ever-growing professional baseball fandom to expand the online purchasing experience
SK Enmove’s premium lubricant brand ZIC announced a joint promotion with the popular Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) team, the Hanwha Eagles, centered around its official online mall. This collaboration focuses on connecting the explosively growing KBO fandom—which breaks attendance records every season—with smart owner-drivers looking to purchase automotive products reasonably online.
KBO’s Record-Breaking Pace and Expanding Touchpoints with Cross-Industry Sectors
The KBO league surpassed 10 million spectators for two consecutive years in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and there is already talk of it reaching a historic 13 million spectators this year. Industry insiders point to the influx of the MZ generation and female fans as the main driver of this explosive growth.
At the heart of this growth lies a powerful fandom culture that goes beyond simply watching sports. The Hanwha Eagles boast a deeply rooted and loyal fan base. Recently, the team has been rapidly expanding its fandom base, centered around people in their 20s and 30s and female fans, through collaborations with cross-industry sectors such as bookstores and cafes.
ZIC paid attention to this trend. Under the strategy of naturally connecting the strong trust and sense of belonging of the sports fandom to the consumption experience of automotive products, this collaboration was planned. It aims to expand the experience of directly and reasonably purchasing engine oil through online channels targeting adult KBO audiences and fans who are highly interested in car maintenance. Simultaneously, it serves as an opportunity to introduce car maintenance and expand brand touchpoints to the MZ generation and female fans who are leading the recent KBO box office success.
Co-Marketing Centered on the Official ZIC Online Mall
Among domestic oil refiners, ZIC is the only brand to have a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) model, directly building and operating its official online mall to form direct touchpoints with consumers. This joint promotion was designed to expand the awareness of this online mall and drive new purchase experiences. It consists of the following benefits:
• Purchase Benefit: The first 2,000 customers who purchase 6 liters or more of 'ZIC TOP,' the top-tier flagship lineup, at the official ZIC online mall will receive a limited-edition seatbelt cover featuring the popular Hanwha Eagles mascot, 'Suri.'
• Season-Linked Event: A raffle will be held for all customers who purchase products at the official ZIC online mall during the 2026 KBO regular season, giving away autographed uniforms and baseballs from the Hanwha Eagles players.
These benefits are significant in that they are designed not as one-off freebies, but as a mechanism to guide the interest of the record-breaking fandom into the online purchase journey.
'ZIC TOP': The Flagship Satisfying Global Certification Standards
'ZIC TOP,' the subject of this promotion, is ZIC's top-tier flagship lineup that meets the latest official certification standards of major global imported car manufacturers, including those in Germany. It is a 100% synthetic engine oil containing PAO (Polyalphaolefin), a premium synthetic base oil with excellent low-temperature fluidity and thermal stability. It provides outstanding engine protection performance and a smooth driving feel not only during city driving with repeated acceleration and deceleration but also under high-output and high-load conditions.
An SK Enmove official stated, "This collaboration with the Hanwha Eagles, which has the most passionate fandom in Korea, is an example showing the potential to expand the trust and sense of belonging of a record-breaking sports fandom into an online purchasing experience." The official added, "Starting with this promotion, we will further spread the direct online purchase of engine oil and continuously strengthen our strategy of expanding consumer touchpoints using sports marketing." Furthermore, based on the performance of this season's promotion, follow-up measures such as data-driven marketing targeting fan communities and additional collaborations are under review.