Haitai Ice Partners Early with KBO
Who Will Win the "Ice Cream War"?
Frozen Dessert Market Expands... Early Launches of New Products
Haitai Ice has launched new products under its flagship brands and is ramping up marketing efforts in preparation for the peak summer season. Although the first quarter is typically a period when lower temperatures result in minimal contributions to the frozen dessert industry’s business performance, the forecast of record-breaking heat this year has prompted companies to accelerate their efforts to gain an early advantage in the so-called “ice cream war.”
According to industry sources on April 22, Haitai Ice signed an official sponsorship agreement with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in February for the “2025 KBO League,” marking its entry into baseball marketing. As professional baseball established itself as a national sport last year, with domestic attendance surpassing 10 million for the first time, food companies have been launching baseball-related products and collaborations in quick succession, and Haitai Ice has joined this trend.
The company noted that the middle two syllables of its “Tankboy” brand, “Keubo,” are pronounced the same as “Keubo,” a colloquial term baseball fans use for KBO. Leveraging this, Haitai Ice is sponsoring the KBO League as an official sponsor. Through this contract, Haitai Ice will serve as an official sponsor at all KBO-hosted events this year, including the professional baseball regular season, All-Star Game, and postseason.
The company also signed a sponsorship agreement with the KIA Tigers professional baseball team, featuring its “Bravo Cone” brand. It has planned advertising videos for the KIA Tigers and the production of a commercial song wishing for the team’s 13th championship.
Although there has not yet been a change in sales volume, the company remains optimistic. A Haitai Ice representative stated, “It has only been a month since the professional baseball season began, and it is not yet the peak season for ice cream, so changes in sales volume are not significant. However, we are seeing an increase in young people enjoying professional baseball, and we expect positive effects on brand awareness and sales improvement through scoreboard advertisements, virtual ads during broadcasts, and in-stadium product sampling events.”
In the frozen dessert industry, approximately 70% of annual sales typically occur in the second and third quarters. However, with record-high daytime temperatures last month and forecasts predicting heat to continue through November, the industry is bracing for fierce competition to secure market share. According to Nielsen Korea’s frozen dessert retail sales data from Food Industry Statistics Information, Binggrae (28.1%) and its subsidiary Haitai Ice (14.5%) together accounted for a combined market share of 42.6% last year, ranking first. Lotte Wellfood (formerly Lotte Confectionery) followed closely with 39.8%, creating a highly competitive landscape.
As a result, Haitai Ice is expanding its zero-sugar product lineup and accelerating new product launches. On March 14, the company completed regulatory approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its “Tankboy Pear Zero” product and is preparing for its launch. Earlier this month, it introduced “Bravo Vanilla Light,” a product with reduced sugar content. Its parent company, Binggrae, launched the low-sugar ice cream brand “Deep&Low” last month. With the concept of “rich flavor, low sugar,” the brand reduces sugar content while maintaining taste. By using the alternative sweetener allulose, the product contains less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams.
Lotte Wellfood has also introduced products with reduced sugar content under the slogan “Casual Health & Wellness.” This slogan represents the company’s intention to develop products that are familiar to consumers but perceived as healthier or better for the body. Representative products include “World Cone Vanilla” and “Tico Milk Choco.” Both products use alternative sweeteners instead of sugar, reducing sugar content by up to 85% compared to the average.
The domestic frozen dessert market continues to grow due to prolonged periods of hot weather. According to Food Industry Statistics Information, the frozen dessert retail market reached 1.4456 trillion won last year, up 1.3% from the previous year. The market grew steadily from 1.3653 trillion won in 2021 to 1.3759 trillion won in 2022, and 1.4274 trillion won in 2023. An industry insider commented, “Frozen desserts are particularly sensitive to marketing. With a high likelihood of heat waves this year and the possibility of rankings changing quickly in this fiercely competitive market, the battle for market leadership is expected to intensify.”
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