- Karina, leader of K-pop group aespa, has been named brand ambassador for Japanese luxury golf brand MARK & LONA, the brand's first-ever female ambassador.
- The partnership was unveiled at a Tokyo press conference at April 27, alongside a new campaign called "PLAY ILLUSION," featuring surrealist visuals shot across space, desert, underwater, and city settings.
- MARK & LONA CEO Tomoaki Matsumura said the decision came after seeing Karina in aespa's "Supernova" video, which gave him a "lightning-like impact."
- This is the first partnership between Karina and MARK & LONA; the brand previously tapped Japanese actor Takuya Kimura as its ambassador in 2018.
MARK & LONA, the luxury golf label under Cube Co., Ltd., has officially appointed Karina, leader of K-pop group aespa, as its new brand ambassador, marking the first time in the brand’s history that a female has held the role.
The announcement, made at a Tokyo press conference on April 27, came with the debut of the campaign “PLAY ILLUSION,” a cinematic commercial set across fantastical environments.
Founded in 2008, MARK & LONA previously partnered with Japanese actor Takuya Kimura as its ambassador in 2018, making Karina a bold new chapter for the brand.
CEO Tomoaki Matsumura explained that Karina’s appearance in aespa’s “Supernova” music video was what convinced him, describing it as a “lightning-like impact.”
On the Karina side, this is a new vertical in an already stacked brand portfolio. In 2025 alone, she became Nike’s first Korean celebrity and first female K-pop idol to serve as global brand spokesperson, and was later named ambassador for Chanel Beauty. In January 2026, she collaborated with Prada for Esquire Korea’s February cover.
Much like how Jennie made waves with her Beats x BLACKPINK Onyx collaboration and KATSEYE turned heads with their GAP hoodie drop, Karina’s MARK & LONA deal reflects K-pop’s expanding grip on global lifestyle branding.
aespa has previously fronted high-fashion campaigns for brands including Givenchy and Chopard. Karina also teased at the press conference that aespa has a new album on the way and a fan meeting scheduled in Japan in July.
The global golf apparel market was valued at over $9.4 billion in 2025, with South Korean consumers historically accounting for 45% of worldwide golf clothing sales, briefly surpassing the U.S. market in apparel spending, though the U.S. currently maintains the largest overall market share by volume in 2026.
MARK & LONA is clearly betting on Karina’s influence to tap directly into that demographic, while broadening its reach globally.
Takeaways
This deal is a masterclass in audience expansion. MARK & LONA isn’t just getting a spokesperson, it’s purchasing a cultural gateway.
Karina brings with her one of the most engaged global fanbases in K-pop, a proven track record across luxury fashion, and a personal connection to golf (her family’s interest in the sport adds an authentic layer that many endorsements lack).
For a brand that built its identity disrupting golf’s stuffy image, appointing K-pop’s most visible style icon as its first-ever female ambassador is the loudest statement it could make. It signals that MARK & LONA is done playing niche and is going full mainstream, especially in the lucrative South Korean market.
Will naming her the first female ambassador shift MARK & LONA’s customer base toward younger women, and is the brand’s product line ready for that? With South Korea dominating global golf clothing sales, could this deal make Karina the most commercially powerful K-pop idol in the sportswear space?
