KT&G's 'Lil' Selected as Excellent Brand in 2023 Korea Brand Hall of Fame

KT&G Lil Able. Photo by KT&G

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] KT&G announced on the 12th that 'lil' was selected as an excellent brand in the heated tobacco category at the '2023 Korea Brand Hall of Fame.'

The Korea Brand Hall of Fame, hosted by the Industrial Policy Study Institute (IPS), is an event that selects and awards excellent brands by comprehensively evaluating consumer satisfaction and brand value over the past year. lil has achieved the remarkable feat of being selected for five consecutive years from 2019 to this year.

KT&G's heated tobacco product lil was first introduced in Korea in 2017 and received favorable reviews from consumers, surpassing 1 million units sold within one year of its launch. As of the end of last year, the cumulative domestic device sales exceeded 5 million units. lil achieved a 45.1% market share in the heated tobacco stick market in the first quarter of last year, becoming the number one domestic heated tobacco brand. By the third quarter of last year, the market share increased to 48.5%.

In November of last year, KT&G also launched one type of ‘lil AIBLE PREMIUM’ and four types of ‘lil AIBLE.’ lil AIBLE is characterized by the ability to use three types of dedicated sticks with a single device. It attracted attention as the first heated tobacco product to incorporate ‘SMART AI’ technology.

Im Wang-seop, head of KT&G’s NGP Business Division, said, "lil is a product created through meticulous planning and systematic management from product design to branding," adding, "We will continue to pursue constant product innovation and brand development in line with market changes."