Gwangju Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency announced on the 3rd that the collaboration project between the animation character "Dudadakung" and singer Kang Daniel is gaining great popularity as intellectual property (IP) merchandise. Dudadakung is an animated series produced by Ice Cream Studio in collaboration with EBS, translated into more than 15 languages worldwide and exported to over 50 countries. This animation is broadcast on about 200 channels, including Netflix, gaining global popularity.

Kang Daniel is conducting a world tour across Asia, Europe, the United States, and South America, creating a special synergy effect through this collaboration. The agency promoted this collaboration as part of the "Regional Specialized Content Development Support Project" to strengthen the IP competitiveness of local content companies. This project is characterized by combining the representative IP Dudadakung, discovered and nurtured in Gwangju, with global artist Kang Daniel to release 12 types of consumer goods that can be used in daily life.

The released merchandise includes camping chairs, wet wipes, beauty products, and offers products differentiated from existing K-pop goods. This product lineup attracts the interest of both fandoms and general consumers simultaneously. In particular, the pop-up store held last month at the complex cultural space "Bday Seongsu" in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, was successfully concluded with about 1,600 visitors. During the event, some merchandise sold out early due to high demand.

The content secured on-site spread through social network service (SNS) channels centered on influencers and fandoms, proving its widespread impact. Among the "Dudadakung X Kang Daniel" collaboration goods, the Bebeang collaboration wet wipes ranked 2nd in the Lotte ON lifestyle and health category and 8th overall immediately after release. This is a case showing the potential as the first consumer goods product among K-pop merchandise.

Dudadakung has expanded its base beyond the existing kids target to the MZ generation and general consumers, confirming new growth potential. The agency, together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gwangju City, has established a full-cycle support system from planning to commercialization and distribution of excellent IPs discovered locally to support their entry into the global market. In particular, through value-up support, it focuses on enhancing the brand value and market scalability of already owned local IPs.

Director Lee Kyung-joo stated, "Dudadakung is a case that shows the possibility of a locally discovered IP pioneering new markets and spreading to the public by combining with a star IP," adding, "We will continue to support the enhancement of the value and sustainable growth of local IPs through regional specialized projects and help local content demonstrate competitiveness in domestic and international markets."

This collaboration project contributes to revitalizing the regional content industry and creating new consumer trends through the synergy of Dudadakung and Kang Daniel. It is evaluated as an important milestone for the global market entry of regional IPs.