BOYNEXTDOOR, a rising K-pop group, recently found themselves at the center of a heated debate after being spotted with Apple products at the airport on October 11, as they departed for Madrid, Spain. The members were seen using Apple iPhones and wearing Apple headsets, igniting controversy given their past association with Samsung.

Samsung’s Past Sponsorship of BOYNEXTDOOR

The issue arose because, late last year, BOYNEXTDOOR attended a Samsung Galaxy smartphone launch event. In November, they participated in a Galaxy-themed photoshoot for a fashion magazine, where a coffee truck, believed to have been sponsored by Samsung, was present on-site. The group’s relationship with Samsung extended further when the company invited the group and 100 fans to the Galaxy S23 FE launch event.

Despite this, the group’s use of a competitor’s products so openly in public has raised questions among fans and industry watchers alike, leading to a wave of online backlash.

Online Reactions and Criticism

Some netizens expressed their disappointment, criticizing the group for what they considered a lack of professionalism:

“Blatantly switching brands like this would leave sponsors disappointed.”
“This could cost them future advertising deals.”

Many felt that the group’s actions could hurt their relationship with Samsung and harm their chances of securing future endorsement deals with other brands.

On the other hand, some fans defended BOYNEXTDOOR, emphasizing that the group was not under any formal obligation to Samsung. According to this view, the partnership was a casual sponsorship, not a binding ambassadorial agreement:

“It wasn’t an official ad, just a sponsorship, so the backlash doesn’t make sense.”

Samsung’s Official Response

Responding to the growing debate, Samsung issued a clarification, noting that BOYNEXTDOOR was never officially contracted as their advertising model or brand ambassador. A representative from the company added:

“This isn’t a situation that requires an official statement.”

Samsung’s firm stance on the matter was interpreted by many as a move to distance themselves from the controversy, signaling that the group’s actions were not significant enough to warrant further concern from the tech giant.

Korean Netizens’ Opinions

Korean netizens, however, had mixed reactions to the incident, with some expressing disappointment and others providing more critical perspectives. Comments varied, reflecting the divided opinion on how this situation might affect the group’s future:

“I heard they weren’t advertising models, just given sponsorship. But still, why did they act so carelessly? Samsung drew the line saying it’s not even worth issuing a statement. Advertisers are so sensitive about these things—it’s unfortunate.”
“It’s going to be so hard for them to land an advertisement with Samsung now.”

“They did this to Samsung, it’s going to be hard to get advertisement deals with other brands too now.”

“They were so careless.”

“Samsung is being wise and saying they’re not even worth an official statement.”

“Wow lol. It’s going to be so hard for this group to make it big.”

“They were so dumb. What other brands would want to do advertisements with them now.”

“No brand would want them to endorse them if the group is being this careless.”

“Just because they show off Apple products doesn’t mean Apple would hire them lol.”

“I mean, they’re not even A-list idols so they were being so careless to do this to Samsung.”

“They were not thinking were they?”

“Serves them right. Lol.”

“Let’s have idols who actually use Samsung to be ambassadors.”

Some went so far as to suggest that BOYNEXTDOOR’s chances of landing future advertising deals with brands, including Samsung, may be compromised due to the perceived carelessness of their actions.

Despite the mixed reactions, Samsung’s clear response and the distinction between sponsorship and ambassadorship offer insight into the more flexible nature of celebrity-brand partnerships. In this case, it seems the situation, while controversial online, does not appear to have a long-term impact on the group’s relationship with the tech giant.

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