‘Icos’ 3rd Anniversary Celebration... Duo Special Discount

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Korea Philip Morris announced on the 25th that it will start a four-week appreciation event to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the launch of ‘IQOS’ in the Korean market.

During the appreciation event, two limited edition door cover products celebrating the 3rd anniversary of IQOS were introduced, allowing customers to actively express their individuality. The door covers in warm rose and spring sky colors, named ‘Sunrose’ and ‘Twilight,’ will be available at official IQOS offline stores and the official online store during the event period.

The current ‘IQOS 3 DUO’ offered to Korean customers is characterized by the ability to use the holder twice consecutively without needing to recharge. It takes 5 minutes to charge the holder from a completely discharged state, and about 1 minute and 50 seconds to fully charge after one use. This allows faster charging compared to previous models such as ‘IQOS 3’ and ‘IQOS 2.4P.’ Especially, it has received positive reviews from users like office workers who are pressed for time and can use it without waiting during short breaks.

Separate from the appreciation event, various programs continue that allow new and existing customers to purchase the latest IQOS at discounted prices. New website members who purchase the latest product, ‘IQOS 3 DUO,’ from the official online store can receive a 31,000 KRW discount with a membership sign-up coupon until June 19, and an additional 20,000 KRW discount, making the purchase price 79,000 KRW.

Also, benefits for offline customers continue separately from the appreciation event. Existing customers who visit designated official offline stores and return their used IQOS devices (IQOS 2.4P, IQOS 3, IQOS 3 Multi) can purchase the latest device, ‘IQOS 3 DUO,’ for 69,000 KRW until further notice.

Under the vision of a ‘smoke-free future,’ IQOS and its dedicated tobacco HEETS, which landed in Korea in June 2017, have led market transformation over the past three years. IQOS and HEETS, which produce nicotine-containing vapor without tobacco smoke or ash and have significantly less odor compared to tobacco smoke, have been welcomed by adult smokers as alternatives to conventional cigarettes.

Since the launch of IQOS by Korea Philip Morris, more than 1.1 million smokers in Korea have switched to IQOS, marking the full-fledged beginning of the e-cigarette era. Major tobacco companies in the industry have also entered the heated tobacco market, shifting market interest toward non-combustion innovative products.

Additionally, Korea Philip Morris made a large-scale investment of about 300 billion KRW in its Yangsan factory in Gyeongnam and started domestic production of HEETS, the dedicated tobacco for IQOS, in 2018. Production has been in full swing since last year, and the Yangsan factory is currently responsible for producing all types of HEETS sold domestically.

Baek Young-jae, CEO of Korea Philip Morris, stated, “Over the past three years, IQOS and HEETS have established themselves as excellent alternatives for adult smokers in Korea considering switching from conventional cigarettes.” He added, “Through this appreciation event, we express our gratitude to both existing customers and new customers switching to IQOS, and ask for continued support for the vision of a ‘smoke-free future.’”