Gone are the days when Bollywood stars like Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh and Kiara Advani made headlines for being roped in as Colgate India‘s brand ambassadors. A name, relatively unfamiliar to the general Indian public, now rules over that influential throne, as the leading toothpaste brand also seems to have been swept off its feet by the K-pop wave’s global impact.
The freshest face to take on the mantle is none other than K-pop queen IU, born Lee Ji Eun. Even if you may not recall the South Korean idol’s name, you will definitely be hit by a big epiphany while scrolling through the K-drama catalogue on Netflix. Yes, you guessed it right! The multi-faceted artist in question is the same woman who, alongside Park Bo Gum, was possibly the most notable K-drama presence to bring some of the most-tearjerking deliveries in the massively hit show When Life Gives You Tangerines this year.
Fans left spellbound as IU announced new Colgate India brand ambassador
Hot on the heels of her acting comeback’s undisputed success, the 32-year-old “Love Wins All” hit-maker scored the honour of appearing in Colgate India’s Visible White Purple campaign. K-pop fans were pleasantly left speechless as they spotted the ‘Queen of K-pop,’ who is also regarded as ‘Korea’s Little Sister’ in the ad.
Donning a purple suit, the Hotel Del Luna star flashed her million-dollar smile while sharing her “beauty hack” in the brand-new advertisement released on the official Colgate India social media handles this week. Having missed an early heads-up call for the shocking reveal, Indian K-pop fans couldn’t contain their excitement in the comments section.
“Wdym I have to buy Colgate just for IU,” a fan commented on Instagram. Another exclaimed, “Omg….. IU for Colgate??!?!” Someone else chimed in, “Wow this is amazing IU and Colgate India collaboration.” A fourth IG wrote, “ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? 😂😂 @dlwlrma i love you!!!!”
For the unversed, IU is an award-winning singer-songwriter and actress. She recently claimed back the right over record-breaking headlines with her double role as Oh Ae Sun and Yang Geum Myeong in Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines. She even snagged her first-ever Best Actress nomination at the 2025 Blue Dragon Series Awards, which she eventually won as well.
Know more about K-pop queen IU: Check out her net worth, music releases and dramas
Prior to her 2025 K-drama comeback, she made waves in the acting world with her 2011 hit teen series Dream High and the critically-acclaimed 2018 drama My Mister. Her other memorable filmography credits include The Producers (2015), Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), Hotel del Luna (2019) and the 2023 film Dream.
On the music front, she last put out her EP A flower bookmark, Pt 3, in May 2025. Last year, she notably collaborated with BTS’ V, aka Kim Taehyung, for the much-appreciated single Love Wins All and its cinematic music video.
In addition to firmly holding her spot as one of South Korea’s top singers, she even remains the richest singer of the lot. Having debuted as a teenager at the age of 15, IU has witnessed all kinds of ups and downs and challenges laid out in her path.
Colgate India is yet another feather in her luxury brand ambassador hat. She’s also proudly stepped up as the face of world-famous brands like Gucci, Estee Lauder, Chaumet, Samsung Korea and Sony, in addition to Korean names like Woori Financial group Black Yak and others.
Currently, her net worth is estimated around $40-45 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth and Ranker. As the richest K-pop idol of all, she soars above even names as big as the members of K-pop sensations BTS and BLACKPINK.
India already riding the Hallyu wave: K-pop and K-drama boom
Over the years, India’s K-pop connection has only gotten more consolidated. Just last year, top idols EXO’s Suho, Chen and Xiumin, GOT7’s BamBam, former SISTAR leader Hyolyn, and BI, among others, headlined multiple K-pop music festivals across the country. Moreover, GOT7’s Jackson Wang, who first stepped out for a Lollapalooza India surprise in 2023, returned to the South Asian nation as latest as June 2025.
On the other side of the same conversation, commercials featuring K-pop/K-drama artists are also gradually gaining momentum. In 2021, McDonald’s India joined forced with BTS for the limited-edition ‘BTS Meal.’ The Grammy-nominated septet eventually earned a special tribute in the form of a BTS-dedicated Amul India topical following the announcement of their English single “Butter.”
And then, K-drama actress Chae Soo Bin (of When the Phone Rings fame) partnered up with Bollywood star Siddhant Chaturvedi for Crocs India‘s (and Asia at large) monsoon campaign just over a month ago.