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Gold medalist becomes spokesmodel for father's employer
Park Tae-joon, who won gold in the men's 58-kilogram taekwondo competition at the Paris Olympics, waves the flag of Maeil Dairies in this undated photo. Courtesy of Maeil Dairies
By Park Jae-hyuk
Park Tae-joon, who won gold in the men’s 58-kilogram taekwondo competition at the Paris Olympics in August, has become the brand ambassador of Maeil Dairies and its subsidiary, Maeil Health Nutrition. He will participate in various marketing campaigns for the companies.
Maeil Dairies attributed its decision mainly to his father, who joined the dairy producer in 2001 and works for M’s Bakers, another of its subsidiaries specializing in dessert products.
Just after Park became the first Korean gold medalist in the men’s taekwondo category in 16 years, Maeil Dairies invited his father to its Seoul office and gave him a congratulatory monetary gift with the promise to provide the athlete with the company’s nutrition supplement products worth around 60 million won ($45,000) in recognition of his achievement.
The company said at that time that the supplements would sufficiently support the 20-year-old's training and preparation for the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles over the next four years.
“Healthy diets are necessary for me to maintain the best condition as an athlete,” Park said.
“Because my father has worked for Maeil Dairies for a long time, I have enjoyed its products since I was young.”
Maeil Dairies also highlighted his years of dedication to becoming a gold medalist, noting that his image aligns with the company's values of pursuing innovation and adventure.
According to the company, Park will educate consumers about sportsmanship and healthy diets.
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“Given that Park’s father has worked for our company for a long time and the athlete has grown up with our products, his appointment as our brand ambassador is more meaningful,” a Maeil Dairies official said.
“We expect our sincerity to impress consumers, so we plan to carry out various activities with Park to let more people know about healthy diets and lifestyles.”