"In dramas, they eat this when tired"…The company behind 'PPL candy' Kopiko [News Inside Companies]

Frequent K-Drama Guest 'Coffee Candy' Kopiko
Indonesian Mayora Indah, Established 1982
Noticed in NASA Astronaut Photo
Musk's 'Thumbs Up' Sends Stock Soaring
Sold in 90 Countries Worldwide Including Southeast Asia, US, and Europe

As the global K-drama craze sweeps the world, Korea is emerging as a 'hot spot' for indirect advertising (PPL) in dramas. From the 2021 dramas 'Vincenzo' and 'Mine' to 'Connection,' which ended on the 6th of this month, the so-called 'PPL candy' Kopiko from Indonesia has appeared throughout K-dramas. Scenes where the tired protagonist takes a coffee-colored candy from packaging with a logo, claiming it helps relieve fatigue, appear in most K-dramas.

Coffee candy 'Kopiko' by Indonesian food and beverage company Mayora Indah (Photo by Mayora Indah website)

Earlier, on November 23, 2017, during the American Thanksgiving, Kopiko attracted global attention in another way. Photos were released showing NASA astronauts having dinner on the International Space Station (ISS), and among the food packages, Kopiko packaging was visible. On social media, the hashtag '#kopikoinspace' appeared.

The company that promoted Kopiko through K-dramas and sent it to space is Mayora Indah, Indonesia's leading food and beverage company. Mayora Indah, operating in 90 countries, has a market capitalization of 54.332 trillion rupiah (approximately 4.65 trillion KRW), ranking 21st among Indonesian companies. The founder, Jogi Hendra Atmaja, is listed among the top 50 wealthiest Indonesians by Forbes.

Mayora Indah, the manufacturer of Kopiko, began its food and beverage business in 1948 when a Chinese immigrant family who moved to Indonesia started making biscuits at home. The company operated as a home-based business for about 30 years before officially establishing the company in 1977. Five years later, in 1982, they launched Kopiko, a candy made from coffee bean extract that could replace a cup of coffee. The name was derived from the Kopiko coffee beans found in Hawaii.

Kopiko is Mayora Indah's flagship product. After its launch, Kopiko quickly expanded sales across Southeast Asia, starting with Indonesia and then the Philippines. As coffee varieties diversified, Kopiko expanded its product line to include cappuccino, caf? latte, espresso, and more, focusing on developing and marketing products tailored to consumers and markets. Having dominated the Southeast Asian market early on, Kopiko expanded globally to the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, establishing itself as a global coffee candy.

In 2022, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is seen holding a coffee candy called Kopiko while meeting with Indonesian government officials.

Mayora Indah and Kopiko continue to attract attention. In July 2022, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, caused a stir when he immediately ate Kopiko gifted to him during a meeting with Indonesian government officials in Texas, USA. After Kopiko passed NASA regulations and flew to space in 2017, a photo of Musk giving a thumbs-up with both hands upon being introduced to Kopiko was shared on social media, causing Mayora Indah's stock price to surge more than 7% in a single day on the Indonesian stock exchange. In January this year, Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the Kopiko factory.

Kopiko, which gained recognition domestically through dramas, is now sold in convenience stores and supermarkets. When it first appeared in dramas, it was not sold domestically, but as consumers showed interest, imports seem to have started. After convenience store GS25 began selling Kopiko in February, over 200,000 units were sold within about a month, drawing attention.