Unmatched Impact: ‘Lefty’ reveals BTS’s V (Kim Taehyung) generated $274 MILLION of Earned Media Value (EMV) for CELINE in just 10 months

Unmatched Impact: ‘Lefty’ reveals BTS’s V (Kim Taehyung) generated $274 MILLION of Earned Media Value (EMV) for CELINE in just 10 months

Whatever Kim Taehyung, aka V of BTS, touches turns to gold, and the luxury fashion brand CELINE is experiencing the “V Effect.

On January 16, Lefty, an influencer marketing platform for leading brands, revealed its analysis of Taehyung’s impact as the newest ambassador for CELINE.

Lefty analyzed Taehyung’s Instagram activity from March 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, and reported that Taehyung has already generated $274 Million of Earned Media Value (EMV) for CELINE by posting only 31 stories and posts.


“Last March, after months of speculation, BTS member @thv was confirmed as brand ambassador for Hedi Slimane’s @celine.

Since then, the K-pop star has already generated $274M of EMV by posting only 31 stories and posts.” —Lefty

Taehyung was officially revealed as CELINE’s newest ambassador through the release of his three covers for ELLE Korea’s April 2023 issue on March 16.

ELLE Korea subsequently released the photoshoot, interviews, and videos in the following weeks.

Taehyung set the internet ablaze with his handsome looks and dangerous charms as he channeled old Hollywood heartthrobs for that photoshoot.

In the issue, ELLE Korea dubbed Taehyung the “genre destroyer” for his capacity to navigate and excel in a wide range of styles and themes.

Since then, Taehyung’s impact on CELINE has been unmatched by any other ambassador, and any activities he has undertaken in relation to the brand generate a ton of buzz both online and offline.

For CELINE alone, he went on to grace 12 covers for 4 different magazines, in less than a year.

Including other brands and projects, Taehyung has appeared on 25 covers across 7 issues in a little over a year since BTS went on a group hiatus to focus on their solo careers.

It’s a testament to the fact that the fashion industry was waiting for Taehyung to go solo, as his label (BigHit Music) did not permit individual projects for BTS in the past.

Last month, Lefty also named Taehyung the #1 male fashion influencer of 2023 and the 3rd overall, with a total of 265 million in Earned Media Value (EMV).

Most impressively, Taehyung was the sole influencer in the Top 10 who did not attend Fashion Week or major fashion events in 2023, proving his immense global influence.