K-Pop Fans Fiercely Divided Over JYP Entertainment’s Latest Marketing Tactic: The “Blind Package”

JYP Entertainment recently revealed its plans to debut a new girl group by 2022, after a new Twitter account @JYPn_official sparked much curiosity from K-Pop fans. While the Twitter bio reads “YOUR NEXT FAVORITE GIRL GROUP,” nothing much has been revealed about the said group — except that it will come from a new division led by Lee Ji Young, the first female director in JYP Entertainment.

JYPn’s official Twitter account. | @JYPn_official/Twitter

Yet, the agency has now announced pre-order schedules for their debut album — rightfully dubbed the “Blind Package.” In a series of tweets, JYP Entertainment revealed that the “Blind Package” will be “limited and exclusive,” set to take pre-orders between July 16 through July 25, 2021 — with an estimated arrival date of February 2022.

Reportedly, the album will only be available via pre-ordering and no additional copies will be produced and/or sold. As experimental as that all sounds, fans are asked to have faith in the agency’s ability to produce some of K-Pop’s greatest teams and make the investment with no questions asked.

#BLIND_PACKAGE GRAND PREVIEW

예약 판매 기간
2021.07.16 ~ 2021.07.25

발매 시점 2022.02

PRE-ORDER PERIOD
JULY 16, 2021 ~ JULY 25, 2021

ESTIMATED DELIVERY TIME 
FEBRUARY, 2022

LIMITED & EXCLUSIVE#JYPn#GRAB_YOUR_FUTURE#YOUR_NEXT_FAVORITE_GIRL_GROUP pic.twitter.com/K7KCII4Hul

— JYPn (@JYPn_official) July 12, 2021

Not surprisingly, JYP Entertainment’s mystery marketing tactic of selling a completely veiled group has sparked some discussion online. Some believe it’s a fresh take at introducing a group. If it works, it will bring a lot of changes to album productions and sales in the K-Pop scene. Fans who are supportive of the “Blind Package” claim the agency’s effort to evolve within the industry is “fun and noteworthy.”

| theqoo

On the other hand, fans who are against the idea have pointed out that it is simply not reasonable for anyone to buy anything without knowing what exactly they’re buying.

I just don’t know who the members are, how do we order it? And February 2022 is still a long time, how about you reveal the members first

— Elle (@Elle81353007) July 12, 2021

how can we pre-order when we don’t know who’s the member

— taehun #PTD OUT NOW! (@moashininglight) July 12, 2021

2022?? Who are the members? What’s the group’s name? What’s their concept? What am I buying?? To be honest the style and everything look like for boy group then the girl group. pic.twitter.com/7alPGyQXTS

— • (@hxneyBxby3) July 12, 2021

Some have even called out JYP Entertainment to be taking the fans for granted to “scam [them] of [their] money this way” and hoped that it “doesn’t become a trend or the norm in k-Pop.”

I get that JYP Entertainment has a solid system for producing successful girl groups… But for the agency to ask their fans to spend money on a product they don’t know anything about — including whether they’ll like it or not once unveiled — I think it’s risky business… There is already no way to please everyone. Can you imagine the wrath that some of these buyers will show toward the group when they get revealed and they’re not necessarily what the buyers expected? Why be this reckless with something as important as a launch?

— In Ji Woong, K-Pop idol trainer and YouTuber

The “Blind Package” will include a limited edition CD, photobook, photocard, poster, polaroid, and more. Would you buy or would you pass?