Rent a Fandom or Grow One? NESCAFÉ x no na vs the K-pop Deals
In short
Indofood signed K-pop acts three times in about a month. NESCAFÉ grew a fandom with a young Indonesian group. What to measure before you sign an idol.
Key points
- What happened
- The K-pop wave.
- Why NESCAFÉ needs this
- The context is global.
- Two models, two costs
- This is the part that interests us.
- What we don't know yet
- None of these brands has published sales or campaign results.
Full article
Key visual “Siap Gas Lagi” from the NESCAFÉ Indonesia x no na campaign. Visual: © NESCAFÉ Indonesia (Nestlé Indonesia), created with Leo Indonesia, featuring no na (88rising). Source: Marketing-Interactive. Used for commentary; not an EGGHEAD project.
Short answer: Between late July and late August 2026, Indofood brands signed K-pop acts three times, and Kopi Kenangan signed NCT’s Haechan. In the same season, NESCAFÉ Indonesia went the other way: it built its ready-to-drink campaign with no na, an Indonesian girl group that debuted in May 2025, and asked fans to write the content. Renting a big fandom buys reach fast. Growing with a young one buys a link that is harder to copy. Which one fits depends on data you can check before signing.
What happened
The K-pop wave. Campaign Indonesia counted the deals. Indofood’s JetZ signed Hearts2Hearts (29 July), Chitato signed Treasure (5 August), and POP Spageti signed Hearts2Hearts again (29 August). Kopi Kenangan announced Haechan of NCT on 24 July, with photocards and cup sleeves for buyers of a Rp58,000 bundle in its app. Hearts2Hearts had already worked with Scarlett and barenbliss in 2025.
NESCAFÉ x no na. no na is a four-member Indonesian group (Baila Fauri, Christy Gardena, Esther Geraldine, Shazfa Adesya) under the label 88rising. They debuted on 2 May 2025 with the single “shoot”. With Leo Indonesia, NESCAFÉ invited fans to request dance challenges for the group, each with a NESCAFÉ twist. The requests became a short series, creators remixed the choreography, the campaign moved onto Jakarta billboards, BRT buses and KRL trains, and it ended with an original music video for NESCAFÉ RTD under the line “Always Moving. Never Boring.”
Why NESCAFÉ needs this
The context is global. In July 2025, Nestlé’s global category lead for NESCAFÉ, Don Howat, told CNBC that the brand’s heartland is hot coffee in the morning, and that it wants to grow cold coffee later in the day. Company estimates in the same report put iced coffee at about a third (32%) of coffee drunk out of home, and young consumers are often a first entry point. For a brand that has been in Indonesia for decades, the question is not awareness. It is relevance to a younger, colder, afternoon occasion.
Two models, two costs
This is the part that interests us. The two approaches buy different things.
- Renting a big fandom (the K-pop route). Reach arrives on day one, because the fans already exist. The cost: the same idol can stand for several brands at once. Hearts2Hearts now fronts two Indofood products and two beauty brands. When fans meet the same faces everywhere, what separates the brands is often only the packaging and the merchandise.
- Growing with a young fandom (the no na route). The fandom is smaller, but the brand is there early, so the link is easier to own. Inviting fans to write the challenges also makes them co-authors instead of an audience. The cost: less guaranteed reach, and the bet depends on the group’s own growth.
Campaign Indonesia put it neatly: local brands are buying Korea, while a global brand is buying Indonesia. Each pays for meaning it cannot claim on its own.
What we don’t know yet
None of these brands has published sales or campaign results. Roastbrief describes the NESCAFÉ work as reaching record viewership and engagement, but gives no figures. Indofood CBP’s 11% sales growth in the first half of 2026 was reported for the period that ended before the K-pop deals were announced, so it says nothing about them. We see no proof yet that either model wins. What we can say is that the choice should come from data, not from who is trending.
The data to check before signing an idol
- Fan overlap. What share of the idol’s fans in Indonesia match your buyer by age, city, and spending? Social listening and a short survey answer this better than follower counts.
- Exclusivity. How many brands, including sister brands, already use the same face? Ask for category exclusivity in the contract.
- Who gets the mention. In search and social, do people name your brand or only the idol? Track brand-plus-idol mentions against idol-only mentions.
- The way back to the product. Does every touchpoint (photocards, bundles, challenges) require buying or using the product? If not, you are funding the idol’s fandom, not your brand.
- Life after the contract. What brand assets stay when the deal ends: a song, a format, a habit, or nothing?
Which model fits your brand?
- Rent a big fandom: fits a launch or a short sales push where reach matters most. Plan the product link carefully, and expect to share the face.
- Grow with a young fandom: fits a brand that wants a long-term association and has the patience to build it. Budget for content, not just the fee.
- No idol at all: often the right answer, if the real gap is the product, the price, or the occasion.
How EGGHEAD approaches it
As a data-driven branding agency, we separate “should we use an idol?” from “which idol?”. We start with a Brand Audit to see what your brand already means to its target market, then the Brand Strategy phase sets the role a partner should play. Only after that do we shortlist talent and design the activation.
Thinking about an ambassador or a fan campaign? Talk to the EGGHEAD team or explore our brand strategy approach.
FAQ
What is the NESCAFÉ x no na campaign?
A 2026 campaign by NESCAFÉ Indonesia and Leo Indonesia for NESCAFÉ RTD. Fans requested dance challenges for the Indonesian group no na, the challenges became a content series, the campaign ran on Jakarta billboards, BRT and KRL, and it ended with an original music video.
Who is no na?
A four-member Indonesian girl group under 88rising: Baila Fauri, Christy Gardena, Esther Geraldine, and Shazfa Adesya. They debuted on 2 May 2025 with the single “shoot”.
Why do Indonesian brands sign K-pop idols?
To borrow an existing fandom and its image, usually to reach Gen Z quickly. Indofood brands signed K-pop acts three times between July and August 2026, and Kopi Kenangan signed Haechan of NCT.
What should a brand measure before choosing an idol ambassador?
Fan overlap with its buyers, how many other brands use the same idol, whether people mention the brand or only the idol, whether each touchpoint leads back to the product, and what assets remain after the contract.
Sources
- Campaign Indonesia, “Saat brand dan grup idol saling meminjam basis audience dan fans”, Aulia Masna, 24 September 2026: campaignindonesia.id
- Roastbrief, “NESCAFÉ Indonesia x no na: Don’t Just Follow Culture. Move With It”, 18 September 2026: roastbrief.us
- CNBC, “Coffee giant Nescafe targets Gen Z as consumption habits shift”, Karen Gilchrist, 19 July 2025: cnbc.com
- CNN Indonesia, “no na, Girl Group Indonesia Debut di Bawah 88rising 2 Mei 2025”, 29 April 2025: cnnindonesia.com
Image credits
- Hero: key visual “Siap Gas Lagi”, © NESCAFÉ Indonesia (Nestlé Indonesia), with Leo Indonesia, featuring no na (88rising). Via Marketing-Interactive, “NESCAFÉ teams up with no na for six-month youth marketing campaign”: marketing-interactive.com
- Out-of-home visuals, © NESCAFÉ Indonesia (Nestlé Indonesia) / Leo Indonesia, featuring no na (88rising). Via Ads of the World, “NESCAFÉ Indonesia x no na: The Fans Challenge”: adsoftheworld.com
- All images are the property of their owners and are shown for commentary and review only. EGGHEAD was not involved in this campaign.
