Short-Form Videos and Merchandise Production Surge with "K-Pop Demon Hunters" Popularity
Font Sales Rise in Tandem
Sandoll Cloud Sees 36% Increase in Font Sales
"Sales of Distinctive Fonts Suited for Memes Are Growing"
As the global success of the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters" continues to generate a ripple effect-such as the early sell-out of related museum merchandise-the impact of K-Pop Demon Hunters has now extended to the font industry. The surge in short-form video and merchandise production related to K-Pop Demon Hunters has led to a significant increase in font sales.
According to Sandoll, a content creator platform company, the number of fonts sold for use in short-form videos and merchandise production on its font platform "Sandoll Cloud" saw a sharp year-on-year increase during the month following the release of K-Pop Demon Hunters on Netflix (June 20 to July 31).
Based on Sandoll Cloud's data, the font that showed the most significant growth was "HG Kikeun Gothic C," which is optimized for short-form subtitles and bold title designs with its tall, screen-filling proportions, and recorded a 36% increase. "Sandoll Cinema Theater," which evokes retro vibes and draws attention reminiscent of classic movie marquees and vintage theater titles, saw a 29% rise. "Sandoll Action Stencil," characterized by its dynamic, cut-off letter shapes and frequently used for fan art and poster production, recorded a 25% increase. "Sandoll Nemoni," with its angular structure and strong impression, is mainly used for title and banner designs and rose by 12%. "Sandoll Hoyoyo," known for its cute style and often used for merchandise, increased by 7%.
According to Netflix's official website, K-Pop Demon Hunters reached a cumulative 266 million views in early September, ranking first among all Netflix content in history. The film's popularity has led to a wave of short-form videos and parody merchandise utilizing scenes and characters from the movie, especially among fans. Globally, there is a growing trend of adding subtitles to videos so they can be watched without sound, and Sandoll notes that this has driven a surge in demand for distinctive fonts that enhance video immersion and accelerate meme creation. Sandoll explained, "Title fonts are being actively used in fan art and parody images, injecting new energy into the font market."
A Sandoll representative stated, "The success of K-Pop Demon Hunters is a prime example of how the global success of content in the OTT era leads to increased fan creativity and merchandise production, which in turn directly drives font usage." The representative added, "This trend demonstrates that the success of K-Pop Demon Hunters has acted as a direct catalyst, and we see a significant correlation between content popularity and font consumption as fan activities expand." The representative further noted, "If this trend continues, font demand is likely to expand into the global market, and Sandoll will respond by offering multilingual and diverse font styles to support creative environments worldwide."
Sandoll identifies customer needs through annual trend research and incorporates these insights into font development. Recently, the rise in short-form content creation has led Sandoll to actively introduce new fonts tailored for this trend. "SD Walkie Talkie," launched in July, is a font designed with short-form sensibilities in mind and quickly gained popularity, with active users increasing fivefold by the end of August. Analysts note that providing trend-responsive fonts is driving increased usage in tandem with the popularity of current content.
Founded in 1984, Sandoll is a font company that, in 2014, introduced "Sandoll Cloud," Korea's first subscription-based font platform. Sandoll Cloud features fonts from a variety of domestic and international font companies as well as independent designers, and currently supports 17 multilingual scripts. In June last year, Sandoll solidified its industry position by acquiring Yoon Design, a leading Korean font company. Sandoll has led exclusive font planning and development for major domestic and global companies such as Microsoft, Apple, IBM, and Samsung.
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