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South Korean table tennis player Shin Yu-bin eats a banana before her women's singles semifinal match at the Paris Olympic Games on Aug. 2 (Yonhap) |
Table tennis star and Paris Olympic double-bronze medalist Shin Yu-bin has become a favorite in the Korean food industry, landing major ad deals with top brands.
The 20-year-old athlete brought home medals in mixed and women’s doubles, ending the country’s long medal drought in table tennis.
Cameras caught her munching on snacks -- bananas, rice balls, and energy gels -- during breaks as the competition heated up. These endearing moments quickly went viral, adding to her charm alongside her trademark victory "chirps" that earned her the much-beloved nickname "Ppiyaki."
Now, the table tennis star is riding the wave of her newfound fame. On Tuesday, BHC Chicken, a leading South Korean fried chicken franchise, announced her as the new face of their signature "Bburinkle" chicken.
This partnership is just the latest in Shin's growing menu of food-related endorsements. Earlier this month, she became the model for Binggrae's banana-flavored milk, a nod to her mid-game banana bites. GS Retail, a major convenience store chain, has launched rice balls and snacks featuring her name and image.
All this speaks to Shin's soaring brand power. A recent big data analysis by a South Korean research firm ranked her No. 1 in brand recognition among the country's sports stars in August, placing her above Premier League superstar Son Heung-min and fellow Olympian Kim Ye-ji, a pistol shooter whose ice-cold demeanor sparked an online frenzy.
For Shin, the fried chicken gig happens to be a perfect match.
"Bburinkle is my go-to fried chicken," she told local media. "I'm so thrilled to promote a product that's not only my favorite but but popular among my peers as well."
