NewJeans' Legal Dispute Threatens Major Brand Partnerships
NewJeans' Legal Dispute Threatens Major Brand Partnerships
NewJeans, the K-Pop sensation, sparks conversation with their fashion ambassadorships and recent courtroom battle.
Hanni, Hyein, Haerin, Danielle, and Minji have risen fast in the fashion world since the debut of their first album in 2022, K-Pop girl group NewJeans. They all have ambassadorship deals with Burberry, YSL Beauty, Celine, Calvin Klein, Dior, and Gucci. Now, following the singers' much-publicized courtroom fight against their management agency, the commercial activities of the group are receiving the spotlight.
A court in South Korea ruled for NewJeans on Friday to halt all kinds of "independent" activities such as song releases and advertisement agreements after the girl group tried to break away from Ador, the local record label that is a subsidiary of Hybe Corp., the label behind K-pop groups like BTS. As per the injunction, the decision by the group to rename itself and break away could "seriously damage" the reputation of Ador.
NewJeans announced on Sunday during the ComplexCon Hong Kong festival that they are on hiatus. "As strong as we are trying to stay, it is honestly taking a bit of a toll, both mentally and emotionally, on us. As strong as we are trying to stay, it is honestly taking a toll, both mentally and emotionally, on us," Dani said onstage.
The fight began last November with all members of NewJeans announcing their split from Ador. After the termination of Min Hee-jin's contract as Ador's creative director, the decision came as a result of months of public disagreements between the two parties.
The label was charged with the alleged mistreatment of and workplace harassment towards the singers. Ador denied the claims and obtained an injunction enforcing the group's contract, upheld by a South Korean court until 2029.
In February, NewJeans announced the change of their name to NJZ without Ador's approval. That same month, Calvin Klein released the spring campaign for the year 2025 with the participation of the K-pop act. The difference from past campaigns by the brand was that Calvin Klein used the names of the singers rather than that of the group. After the release of the campaign, Ador requested reporters to use the name NewJeans instead of NJZ.
“We respectfully ask you to use the official legal group name ‘NewJeans’ based on a valid contract when writing articles, as we believe you are more aware than anyone of the importance of exclusive contracts in the entertainment industry to cooperate in ensuring accurate reporting.” Ador said in an email sent on Feb. 20 to WWD.
The future is still uncertain regarding New Jeans and their ambassadorship deals. This report, according to WWD, indicates that Ador will fully support the artists in their exclusive agency capacity, allowing for a seamless continuation of brand collaborations and ambassadorships.
According to the ruling, this sets the scene for Ador to oversee the advertising contracts and general entertainment activities for the group. The agency further declares “to promptly resolve any remaining conflict and restore stability as soon as possible.”NewJeans is already challenging the injunction in court and is also vowing to absolutely-will leave Ador.
NewJeans may have many individual ambassadorship deals, but even if these are all under Ador, Calvin Klein is one of the few brands the singers endorse as a group. Calvin Klein did not respond to requests for comment.
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