Philanthropy of BTS
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Formation | November 1, 2017 |
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Founded at | South Korea |
Purpose | Anti-violence |
Key people | BTS, UNICEF (Korea and Japan) |
Website | love-myself.org/eng/ |
Love Myself (stylised as LOVE MYSELF) is an anti-violence campaign launched on November 1, 2017 by South Korean boy band BTS in partnership with the Korean and Japanese committees for UNICEF.[1][2][3] The campaign idea was introduced by the group as a sponsorship to #ENDviolence, a global UNICEF campaign aimed at the protection of young people so they can live without the fear of violence,[4] and promotes the hashtag – #BTSLoveMyself, which asks fans and supporters to post self-loving photos with the hashtag to different social media platforms.[5] Since its inception, the campaign has generated 5 million tweets and over 50 million engagements as of October 2021.[6]
With Love Myself, BTS became the first artist in South Korea to raise funds as part of a social fund for global campaigns.[7] The campaign itself is the first Korea-based campaign to be expanded globally. Initially a two-year endeavour, BTS renewed the campaign for a third year in 2021.
Background
BTS's discography focuses heavily on themes such as mental health issues, suicide, nihilism, the K-pop idol system, and female empowerment. In September 2017, the group released their fifth extended play, Love Yourself: Her, which featured themes of love, loss, friendship, and death. As with past EPs and albums, BTS continued to promote social messages in the new songs.[8][9]
BTS started working on the campaign in early 2017, together with their label Big Hit Entertainment, and hoped to help with their social influence in action.[10] In November, BTS and the Korean Committee for UNICEF announced their partnership, supporting both their Love Myself campaign and UNICEF's #ENDviolence campaign.[11] Since then, BTS began promoting the campaign and raising funds to support it. Official merchandise for the campaign was released and made available for purchase through BTS' online store.[12][better source needed]
2018–present
In January 2018, BTS introduced donation platforms in collaboration with KakaoTalk as well as official stickers for the campaign.[13][14] Five months later, in June, a partnership with the Japan Committee for UNICEF was announced through a partnership agreement ceremony held in Tokyo.[15] BTS later attended the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24,[16] for the launch ceremony of UNICEF's global partnership, Generation Unlimited, a program "dedicated to increasing opportunities and investments for children and young people aged 10 to 24".[17] On behalf of the group, BTS' leader RM delivered a six-minute speech in English about self-acceptance and the Love Myself campaign.[18][19]
In March 2021, BTS and Big Hit released a joint video statement with UNICEF and UNICEF Korea, announcing their renewed support of the campaign for two more years.[20] The announcement also revealed that Love Myself had been "elevated to a multinational MCA partnership", marking the first time that a Korea-based partnership had been expanded to a "global trilateral partnership with UNICEF headquarters". The band pledged an additional US$500,000 per year to UNICEF Korea.[21] BTS also became sponsors of the global #ENDViolence campaign. They will donate a portion of income from their campaign merchandise and the "Love Yourself" album series sales to it, and a further $1 million to UNICEF Korea by 2022.[21][22]
Donations
The campaign is funded in the following ways:[1][23][24]
- KR₩500 million donated by Big Hit and the seven members of BTS
- 3% of all income from physical album sales of the Love Yourself series (Her, Tear, and Answer)
- 100% of all sales of official Love Myself campaign goods
- Part of the income from the sales of official KakaoTalk Give-ticon and LINE stickers for the Love Myself campaign[14][25][26]
- Kakao's contribution platform "Together Value with Kakao"[27]
- Naver's online donation platform "Happy Bean"[28][29]
- Donations received through donation desks installed by UNICEF
- $500,000 per year donated by BTS for two years, beginning 2021[21]
Proceeds are used to support young victims of school violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault around the world, as well as to provide education programs for local communities in aid of violence prevention.
Accomplishments
By January 17, 2018, within just two months of its launch, the campaign raised an additional ₩106 million, taking the global funds total to ₩606 million.[30] In November 2018, UNICEF Korea announced that over ₩1.6 billion ($1.4 million) had been raised.[31] By June 2019, cumulative worldwide funds had surpassed ₩2.4 billion.[32]
By December 2020, the #BTSLoveMyself hashtag had been used across social media over 14 million times, and the campaign's global funds totaled ₩3.2 billion ($2.8 million).[33]As of October 2021, the campaign has raised ₩4.2 billion ($3.67 million) globally.[34]
Awards
The Love Myself campaign won a UNICEF Inspire Award in the 'Integrated Campaigns and Events' category at the 2020 UNICEF Inspire Awards. Held annually by UNICEF Headquarters, the ceremony honours the "most innovative and inspiring" global UNICEF campaigns of the year across 18 categories. The 'Integrated Campaigns and Events' category awards campaigns that have generated the biggest influence and inspiration in areas including promoting children's rights, fundraising, and public relations. For the 2020 edition, 100 campaigns across 50 countries were considered, with winners selected through a combination of online votes by UNICEF employees worldwide and the evaluation of a judges' panel.[35][36]
Association | Ceremony Date | Category | Recipient | Results | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNICEF Inspire Awards | 2020 | Best Integrated Campaigns and Events | Love Myself | Won | [37] |
References
- ^ a b Hwang, Ji-young (November 1, 2017). 방탄소년단X유니세프, 韓최초 글로벌 프로젝트 론칭 [BTS X UNICEF launches the first global project]. Daily Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "K-pop group BTS launches anti-violence campaign with UNICEF". ABS-CBN News. November 1, 2017. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ 世界的ヒップホップボーイズグループ BTS (防弾少年団) が応援する 子ども、青少年に対する暴力の撲滅を目指す ユニセフ#ENDviolenceキャンペーン [UNICEF #ENDviolence campaign to end violence against children and adolescents supported by the global hip-hop boy group BTS]. Japan UNICEF Association (in Japanese). April 16, 2018. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Drysdale, Jennifer (November 1, 2017). "BTS Partners With UNICEF on 'Love Myself' Anti-Violence Campaign". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ @bts_love_myself (January 24, 2018). "Love Myself, and Love Others. We are all worth being loved by everyone including ourselves. Start this by posting your own self-loving photo with #BTSLoveMyself hashtag" (Tweet). Retrieved June 25, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ BTS「LOVE MYSELF」キャンペーン、500万ツイート・5000万エンゲージメントに到達 [BTS "LOVE MYSELF" campaign reaches 5 million tweets and 50 million engagements]. Oricon News (in Japanese). October 6, 2021. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
{{cite web}}
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timestamp mismatch; October 6, 2021 suggested (help) - ^ "#ENDviolence – LOVE MYSELF". love-myself.org. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff (December 4, 2015). "BTS: K-Pop's Social Conscience". Fuse. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Kelley, Caitlin (September 18, 2017). "BTS' 11 Most Socially Conscious Songs Before 'Go Go'". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Merrill, Philip (November 1, 2017). "BTS' Anti-Violence Campaign For Children". GRAMMY.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "UNICEF Korea and BTS for #ENDviolence | BTS supports #ENDviolence". endviolence.unicef.or.kr. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "#BTSLoveMyself Campaign Merchandise Revealed". MACG Magazine. December 6, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Ha-na (January 30, 2018). 방탄소년단, 착한 이모티콘 '기브티콘'으로 기부. HanKyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Lee, Bo-ra. 방탄소년단X모바일 플랫폼, 전 세계 '기부 참여' 이끈다 [BTS X mobile platform leads global donation participation]. enews24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "LOVE MYSELF partnered with Japan Committee for UNICEF, expanding the campaign globally". love-myself.org. June 8, 2018. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "K-pop band BTS addresses United Nations with plea to young people". Reuters. September 25, 2018. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020 – via ABC News.
- ^ Herman, Tamar (September 20, 2018). "BTS to Speak at United Nations for UNICEF's 'Generation Unlimited' Launch". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Allaire, Christian (September 24, 2018). "Watch BTS Address the United Nations With an Emotional Speech About Self-Acceptance". Vogue. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ Chakraborty, Riddhi (September 24, 2018). "BTS at the UN: 'Our Fans' Stories Constantly Remind Us of Our Responsibility'". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (March 8, 2021). "BTS Renew Commitment to 'Love Myself' Anti-Violence Campaign with UNICEF". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ a b c Yoon, So-yeon (March 5, 2021). "BTS extends joint anti-violence campaign with Unicef Korea for two more years". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ "BTS says 'Love Myself' initiative helped them embrace themselves more". Yonhap News Agency. March 5, 2021. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Herman, Tamar (October 31, 2017). "BTS Collaborates with UNICEF on 'Love Myself' Anti-Violence Campaign". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "About LOVE MYSELF". love-myself.org. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "BTS "LOVE MYSELF" – LINE stickers | LINE STORE". Line Store. January 29, 2018. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "BTS LOVE MYSELF". Kakao Emoticon Shop (in Korean). January 30, 2018. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ 폭력없는 세상, 함께 만들어요! [A world without violence, let's make it together!]. together.kakao.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ [기부콩받기] 방탄소년단 라인스티커로 굿액션하세요! [[Get Donation Beans] Do good action with BTS line stickers!]. With Naver N (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Tae-gyun (January 20, 2018). 방탄소년단, 카톡·라인과 '폭력 근절' 기부 이모티콘 출시(종합) [BTS release donation emoticons with KakaoTalk and Line]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Lee, Ha-na (January 17, 2018). 방탄소년단 '러브 마이셀프' 캠페인, 전 세계 모금액 6억 돌파 [BTS 'Love My Self' campaign, worldwide fund raised 600 million]. Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020 – via Naver.
- ^ Herman, Tamar (November 2, 2018). "BTS' UNICEF 'Love Myself' Campaign Raises Over $1.4 Million". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "LOVE MYSELF Home". love-myself.org (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ "Adieu 2020! Let's look forward to 2021 with more ways to LOVE MYSELF!". love-myself.org. December 28, 2020. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (October 6, 2021). 방탄소년단 유니세프 기부금 42억 돌파, 韓최초 '세계아동현황 보고서' 소개 [BTS' UNICEF donation exceeded 4.2 billion won, introduction of Korea's first 'World Children's Status Report']. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via Daum.
- ^ Lee, Gyu-lee (June 22, 2020). "BTS honored for UNICEF's most integrated campaign". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (June 22, 2020). 방탄소년단X빅히트, 유니세프 인스파이어 어워즈 수상 "선한 영향력"(공식) [BTS X Big Hit wins UNICEF Inspire Awards "Good Influence"]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020 – via Daum.
- ^ Yoon, So-yeon (June 22, 2020). "BTS's anti-violence campaign wins Unicef's best campaign award". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.