Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang distributed a 7-Eleven private-brand snack to citizens in Seoul, causing sales of the product to surge [1].
The event highlights the immense cultural and economic influence of the artificial intelligence industry in South Korea, where semiconductor technology is a primary economic driver.
On June 5, 2024, Huang handed out the "Seven Select Honey Banana HBM Chip" snack near Hongdae-Ipgu Station in Mapo-gu [1]. The snack was prepared by SK Group to commemorate a meeting between Huang and several prominent Korean business leaders, including SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver board chair Lee Hae-jin [1].
SK Group designed the snack to promote SK Hynix’s High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) technology, which is critical for the AI chips produced by Nvidia [1]. The marketing effort translated a corporate meeting into a viral consumer trend.
Data released on June 8, 2024, shows that sales of the honey banana snack increased by approximately 704% on June 6-7 compared with the same days a week earlier [2]. This represents roughly an eight-fold increase in sales nationwide at 7-Eleven stores [2].
The surge followed the public appearance of Huang and the accompanying promotion of the HBM-themed snack [1]. The intersection of high-tech industry partnerships and consumer retail created a sudden spike in demand for the private-brand product [2].
“Sales of the Seven Select Honey Banana HBM Chip increased by about eight-fold”
The rapid sales spike demonstrates the 'celebrity' status of AI executives like Jensen Huang and the strategic use of consumer products to signal industrial partnerships. By linking a common convenience store snack to High Bandwidth Memory technology, SK Group successfully bridged the gap between complex semiconductor B2B relations and public brand awareness in South Korea.
