The rising K-pop girl group ILLIT has been appointed as honorary ambassadors for a campaign aimed at boosting rice consumption. The announcement comes as the group, managed by Belift Lab, embarks on a collaboration with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF), commonly known as Nonghyup, to promote healthy eating habits centered around rice.
ILLIT Spearheads ‘Like me, like 米: It’s 米’ Campaign
The newly launched campaign, titled ‘Like me, like 米: It’s 米,’ is designed to introduce the younger generation, particularly Gen MZ (Millennials and Gen Z), to the evolving value and appeal of Korean rice. The initiative also seeks to foster a culture of healthy eating. As the first official ambassadors for rice consumption promotion, ILLIT members will engage in a variety of online and offline activities to spread the campaign’s message.
A key component of the campaign involves ILLIT members visiting local farms in Dangjin, Chungnam Province, to experience firsthand the process of rice cultivation. Exclusive content documenting these farm visits is scheduled to be released in mid-July on the official YouTube channels of both ILLIT and Nonghyup. This initiative aims to connect the artists with the agricultural roots of the staple food.
Engaging Activities to Promote Rice Consumption
Beyond the farm visits, the campaign will feature interactive elements designed to capture public interest. These include an “eating rice porridge for breakfast” social media challenge and a special segment called ‘Happy Rice Meal,’ which will showcase menus curated by ILLIT members. These activities are intended to make consuming rice a trendy and enjoyable habit.
The connection between ILLIT and rice consumption began organically, stemming from the group’s debut mini-album title track, ‘It’s Me.’ The song’s title was cleverly adapted into ‘It’s 米‘ (It’s Mi), a play on words referencing rice (米). This creative naming caught the attention of Nonghyup, who were impressed by the group’s enthusiastic promotion, including a viral video of the members dancing in a rice field while modeling rice sacks.
The collaboration deepened through various exchanges, such as comments left on the group’s official social media accounts and the delivery of food trucks to music show filming sites. These interactions highlighted a shared enthusiasm for promoting Korean culture and agriculture.
Nonghyup’s Vision for the Campaign
A representative from Nonghyup expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “We are deeply pleased to launch this campaign with ILLIT, a group full of positive energy. Our goal is to promote a healthy rice-based diet and support our farmers through this initiative.” The federation hopes that the campaign will inspire future consumers to discover the unique joy of eating rice and voluntarily participate in trendy dietary habit challenges.
“We hope that the core consumer group of the future will discover ‘the special me who eats rice’ and voluntarily participate in hip habit challenges,” the representative added, emphasizing the campaign’s focus on building long-term positive associations with rice consumption among younger demographics.
ILLIT’s Global Success and Upcoming Activities
The song ‘It’s Me‘ has maintained a strong presence on major domestic music charts, continuing its success two months after its release. Internationally, the track has entered the Billboard ‘Global 200’ and ‘Global Excl. U.S.’ charts for eight consecutive weeks, underscoring ILLIT’s growing global appeal.
Looking ahead, ILLIT is set to release their second Japanese single, ‘I Got Your Back,’ with the full digital song available on June 26th, followed by the physical album release on June 29th. The group is also scheduled to perform at major festivals in August, including the ‘Mezamashi Live Wangan Festival’ and ‘Rock in Japan Festival 2026,’ further expanding their reach and engaging with a wider audience.
This ambassadorship marks a significant step for ILLIT, aligning their burgeoning popularity with a vital agricultural campaign. The collaboration is expected to generate considerable interest in Korean rice, both domestically and internationally, reinforcing its status as a healthy and essential part of the global diet.
