Jungkook, kombucha, and the accidental ad that emptied the shelves

In February 2021, Jungkook casually showed what he was drinking during a livestream. It was lemon kombucha from the Korean brand TEAZEN, a powder mixed with water, and Jungkook said he liked it so much he drank about two packets a day. It wasn't an ad or an official brand partnership. He just answered a question and kept going with the live. A few days later, TEAZEN had a completely different problem on its hands, how to produce enough kombucha for everyone who suddenly wanted it.

Kombucha is a fermented tea drink, and TEAZEN's version was sold in small powder packets. After Jungkook's live, demand shot up overnight, and the company announced it had sold in just three days what it normally sold over an entire month. Sales kept climbing over the following weeks, and interest quickly spread beyond South Korea.

The funniest part of the story happened when Jungkook himself wanted to buy the kombucha he'd recommended again. During a later live, he said he couldn't find it anymore because it had sold out. He eventually managed to get his hands on two boxes and laughingly commented on just how incredible ARMY is. In short, a few seconds of talking about his favorite drink was enough for Jungkook to make it harder for even himself to get.

For TEAZEN, it wasn't just a short-lived sales bump. The company ramped up production, and demand from abroad grew sharply. By summer 2021, sales of their kombucha were being measured in the tens of millions of packets, and the company donated 50 million won in gratitude after the unexpected success.

The whole situation wasn't entirely new for ARMY, though. Jungkook already had a track record of accidentally setting off a frenzy for things he used, and one of the best-known examples happened in early 2019. While talking with fans, he mentioned using Downy Adorable, a fabric softener whose scent he especially liked. Demand exploded, and according to reports at the time, roughly two months' worth of projected stock sold out in a very short window. Jungkook soon posted on the official BTS Twitter account, jokingly asking ARMY if everyone had run out of fabric softener.

Wine went the same way. During a 2019 live, Jungkook was drinking Merlot March by Umani Ronchi, and fans managed to identify the bottle in front of him. It quickly drew so many buyers that some retailers reported selling out. He never recommended it, described it, or advertised it, it was enough for the bottle to simply be sitting in front of him.

Over time, much more expensive items ended up on the list too. Clothing items Jungkook wore at the airport, at a photoshoot, or in some piece of BTS content would often disappear from online stores very quickly once fans figured out what the item was. Among the more famous examples was a Prada jacket he wore for Vogue Japan, and everything from perfume and lip balm to toothbrushes drew huge interest too. Price clearly wasn't always a barrier, the same phenomenon happened with cheap everyday items and luxury clothing alike.

Situations like these are exactly why Jungkook earned the nickname Sold Out King, and why the term "Jungkook effect" started being used for the sudden surge of interest in products that show up around him. Interestingly, a lot of the best-known examples weren't the result of paid campaigns. He'd often simply use, wear, or mention a product, and fans would figure out what it was on their own.

Even the other members became aware of how quickly a casual recommendation like that could cause a problem. During one live, SUGA refused to reveal which perfume he uses, explaining that people might go buy it and then he wouldn't be able to get it himself anymore. After what happened to Jungkook with the kombucha, it's hard to argue with that logic.

Of all these examples, though, TEAZEN's kombucha has remained one of the most famous. Jungkook didn't film an ad, didn't have a promo code, and didn't ask anyone to buy it. He just showed a drink he liked and said how often he drank it. A few days later, the company was thanking him for selling a month's worth of stock in three days, and Jungkook was asking where he could buy more.

Hard to think of a better example of why the fandom gave him the nickname Sold Out King.