BTS V Doesn’t Just Promote a Cushion — He’s Setting Records in Global Beauty

V of BTS is once again proving that his influence goes far beyond music stages. This time, the spotlight is on K-beauty and the numbers are hard to ignore.

From Campaign Face to Category No. 1

The global beauty brand TIRTIR, which V represents as ambassador, has taken home a major win at the 2026 ELLE Beauty Awards, earning the Korea Winner title in the K-Beauty Leader category. The awards are judged by ELLE editors across 50 countries, making it one of the industry’s most internationally recognized honors.

The award-winning product? The Mask Fit Red Cushion the same cushion V fronted in his global campaign.

Following the campaign launch, the product achieved something unprecedented: it became the first Korean cushion foundation brand to rank No. 1 in Amazon’s overall Beauty category. Not just in K-beauty. Not just in foundations. The entire beauty category.

That milestone turned what could have been a typical endorsement into a measurable global impact moment.

A K-Beauty Breakthrough on Amazon

Within just a month of V beginning his ambassador activities in November 2025, TIRTIR secured multiple products in Amazon’s Top 100 across beauty and color cosmetics. Among K-beauty brands, it ranked highest in representation.

For an indie beauty brand competing on a global platform dominated by multinational giants, that kind of visibility is rare. Industry observers point out that the timing aligns directly with the campaign rollout, including V’s in-person appearance at a Los Angeles pop-up event that drew international attention.

Limited stock items reportedly sold out quickly, further fueling online buzz and repeat demand.

The Bigger Picture: K-Beauty’s Global Shift

The achievement comes amid a broader transformation in the K-beauty export landscape. The United States has now overtaken China as the No. 1 export market for Korean cosmetics. In both the U.S. and Japan, Korean beauty products have surpassed France in import market share a symbolic shift in global prestige beauty dominance.

TIRTIR’s momentum reflects that trend.

According to marketing data platform Lefty, the brand ranked No. 2 in the “Top 10 Korean K-Beauty Brands of 2025,” recording an earned media value of $72.1 million. EMV measures the media value generated through exposure across digital and social platforms.

V’s Influence — Backed by Numbers

V’s personal impact in fashion and beauty spaces has also been quantified. During the 2025 global fashion weeks across New York, London, Milan, and Paris, he recorded the highest EMV among Korean celebrities, reaching $13.1 million.

While fans have long celebrated his visual appeal and global reach, these metrics underline something bigger: measurable commercial influence across industries.

In an era where celebrity endorsements are common, V’s campaign demonstrates what happens when star power translates into real performance data. It was never just about a cushion compact.

It became a record.