Compose Coffee Sparks Massive Reactions After Revealing the Amount Paid to V as Its Global Brand Ambassador

 

Against the backdrop of rising prices and increasingly cautious consumer spending—while South Korea remains a fierce battleground for budget coffee, home to dozens of well-known brands such as Mega Coffee, Paikdabang, Ediya, and Dal.komm—what would you do if you were the owner of Compose Coffee to make your brand stand out and stay competitive? Cut prices even further? Roll out aggressive promotions? Launch new drinks? None of these strategies delivers a truly powerful impact in today's brutally competitive low-cost beverage market.

That is why, at the end of 2023—coinciding with its 10th anniversary—Compose Coffee made what could be described as its boldest and most disruptive move yet, one that reshaped the entire low-cost coffee landscape in South Korea: appointing V as its global brand ambassador. The decision was accompanied by the launch of a large-scale series of advertising and promotional campaigns, while also serving as a catalyst to attract franchises and accelerate overseas expansion.

Prior to his partnership with Compose Coffee, V had already served as a global ambassador for luxury fashion and jewelry houses as CELINE and Cartier, as well as a brand representative for the global investment platform SimInvest. The BTS superstar is widely known as the "Sold Out King," famed for the saying that "everything he touches turns to gold." Notably, a revenue report of CELINE revealed that the brand's operating profit in South Korea surged by 591%, from 2.5 billion won (approximately $1,690,000) to 17 billion won ($11,492,000) by the end of 2024, while revenue exceeded 307 billion won (approximately $207,532,000)—an increase largely attributed to the "V effect."

With such a valuable opportunity seemingly within reach, franchise owners rushed to submit petitions to Compose Coffee's headquarters, urging the company to sign V as its brand ambassador in hopes of ushering in a new era of growth.

Notably, an article published by Smart Today on the 18th that franchises across the country not only expressed strong enthusiasm and support for V, but also directly contributed a substantial portion of the ambassador fee—solely to ensure that the deal would be successfully finalized. Specifically, according to Smart Today, Compose Coffee disclosed that it paid a total of 6 billion won (approximately $2,752,661), of which 2 billion won (approximately $1,352,659) was jointly funded by franchises nationwide. 

This is clearly a significant expenditure—one considered "enormous" within the F&B industry, particularly for a mass-market coffee chain like Compose Coffee. Ambassador fees for domestic South Korean F&B brands (including coffee, beverages, and fast food) are commonly estimated around $1.5 million per year for well-known celebrities. Compose Coffee's decision to spend two to four times that amount underscores the company's strong confidence in V's influence to generate explosive gains in revenue, customer traffic, and brand recognition.

Indeed, the investment has yielded return many times over in the years that followed. After Taehyung was appointed as brand ambassador, Compose Coffee's revenue surged to 88.8 billion won (approximately $60,058,051) in 2024, whil operating profit climbed to 36.6 billion won (approximately $24,753,656). The chain's operating margin reached an impressive 41.3%—more than double that of its competitors—highlighting the brand's exceptional profitability.

The collaboration with Taehyung also fueled explosive growth in the number of Compose Coffee stores nationwide. After two years of partnership, the brand is on track to surpass 3,000 outlets across South Korea, marking one of the fastest expansion rates in the country's franchise industry.

Most notably, Compose Coffee was recognized as the Best-Performing Franchise Brand of 2025, a prestigious honor that further underscores that immense impact of V in his role as brand ambassador.

Although a $4 million ambassador contract may appear risky—or even extravagant—for a budget coffee, with V, such decisions seem fully justified. Unsurprsingly, fans were left in awe as rare details about the contract's value surfaced, sparking widespread discussion and excitement across social media.

ARMYs' comments:

1. If this how much a local brand paid him, imagine how much he earned from global brand like CELINE and Cartier. He is literally an ambassador for nibe brands. Kim Taehyung's brand value is insane.

2. This is what real influence looks like—numbers backed by people, not hype.

3. The fact that franchise owners pushed for this and contributed 2 billion won speaks volumes. They knew Taehyung wasn't just an ambassador, but a total game-changer for business. The"V effect" is real, ans the demand was simply too loud to ignore. A legendary collaboration!

4. Wow, that's just over $4 million. And he has nine deals... yet they want us to believe his net worth is onlu $40 million?

5. With how much Compose Coffee's profilr was raised and how much interest was generated, I'd say it was worth every penny.

6. OMG, that's USD 4,006,831.60! I wonder how much the other brands paid him.

7. His impact is unmatched. That should seriously be studied.

8. No wonder he's considered the richest member. He made them so much money that their budget really increased.

9. Franchises paying bulluons for V proves his impact. The most in-demand K-pop idol.

10. V has always been the most popular, starting from debut days. A truly self-made superstar.

11. They literally won in their busineee lives after getting this man as their brand ambassador. Congrats! V doesn't just stand for "Visual," but also 'Very Profitable."