[Familiar yet New, 'New Millieo']

Cultural Phenomenon Representing Characteristics of the MZ Generation
Term Mainly Used in the Food Industry
Pressing and Eating with a Waffle Maker Trending on SNS

'Newmiliar' is a term created by combining the English words New and Familiar. It means 'familiar newness' and represents one of the cultural phenomena that characterize the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z).

It is similar to but different from Newtro. Newtro began gaining attention in the late 2010s. It refers to the phenomenon of bringing back previously popular trends and reinterpreting them with a modern sensibility. For the older generation, it evokes nostalgia for past culture, while for the MZ generation, it offers a new and unique experience they have never encountered before.

Making Snacks with a Waffle Maker Video
Photo by YouTube

Newmiliar is a phenomenon that pursues newness within familiar categories. It involves adding newness to things well known or combining familiar elements to create something new. In the 2020s, it has emerged as a new keyword replacing Newtro.

This term is mainly used in the food industry. A representative Newmiliar food product is the meal kit. In 'Food Trend 3: Newmiliar,' published in 2022 by the Food Business Lab at Seoul National University, seven trends were presented, one of which was meal kits. The author, Professor Moon Jeong-hoon of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at Seoul National University and head of the Food Business Lab, explained, "Meal kit products simultaneously deliver to consumers a new experience through various recipes and the familiarity of healthy home-cooked meals and the joy of cooking."

Examples of Newmiliar foods include milk chocolate made with soy or coconut milk instead of cow's milk, vegetarian yogurt, vegetarian crackers, as well as plant-based minced meat and seafood products made from plant-based ingredients.

Students choosing meal kits
Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Newmiliar created a unique consumption culture during the COVID-19 pandemic. As people spent more time at home, they eagerly posted videos and photos on social media (SNS) showing various types of food made using existing cooking tools.

For example, they used waffle makers to create foods with shapes different from the original. They pressed triangular kimbap with a waffle maker to make 'crispy outside, soft inside triangular kimbap,' and pressed croissants to create 'croffles.' Simple snack recipes, such as making rice cake snacks by putting rice cake slices for tteokguk in an air fryer and roasting them, were actively shared on SNS.

Meanwhile, CJ OnStyle selected Newmiliar as this year’s consumption keyword. On the 4th, CJ OnStyle announced that after analyzing sales over the past year, they chose Newmiliar as the consumption keyword for this year. They analyzed 180 popular brands carefully selected from five major categories: fashion, beauty, health food, living, and baby & kids.

The product groups leading the Newmiliar trend were small home appliances incorporating innovative technology and beauty products. Products such as 3-in-1 wet mop robot vacuum cleaners with added drying functions and compact food waste disposers that maximize interior effects were chosen by many consumers. Demand for accessories that add styling to existing items also increased. A CJ OnStyle official analyzed, "As the trend of practical consumption focusing only on necessities spreads due to the economic downturn, Newmiliar consumption tendencies have become prominent."