4 Times BTS’s V Helped Small Businesses And Independent Artists
BTS‘s V has made dreams come true not just for ARMYs, but for aspiring artists and businesses around the world. Here are 4 times he used his influence to help underappreciated creators.
1. “GOAT”
V recently brought attention to a talented but little-known creator on YouTube. The creator, a high school student named Matthew Chun, went from having under 300 subscribers to over 50,000 after V shared a link to his video 17 and Lost Memories on the Weverse app.
V called Chun “goat,” an acronym for “greatest of all time,” and shared a link to his video. Of course, fans just had to check it out!
Thanks to V and ARMY, Chun’s dreamy, autobiographical video went from having less than 200 views to over one million!
2. Bracelets for a good cause
Choi Changnam, founder of the charity brand CCNMADE, was getting ready to close up shop when V breathed new life into her business. CCNMADE began making handmade bracelets in 1993 to help dogs and cats in need as well as children with heart disease. The business remained relatively small until 2020.
“I was on the brink of giving up,” Choi said in a 2020 interview. “I decided this year would be my last push. The three stores I opened would be my final effort — and if that doesn’t work, then that would be the end, I said.”
After an employee tagged #CCNMADE in photos of V wearing the bracelet, the brand’s popularity took off. Business boomed, resulting in more sales and employee hires.
She tagged #OurBracelet and #CCNMADE… and it blew up. That was in August but we are still receiving orders from that rush. And even though we’re facing an unprecedented trying time with COVID-19 happening, we believe we’ll make it through this too.
— Choi Chang Nam
3. The paint palette pin
Independent artist Kate Rowland found herself swamped with orders after V wore one of her paint palette pins to the airport.
The brooch, which is laser cut from sustainable plywood and painted with a rainbow of colors, was priced at £10.00 ($12.00 USD). After V wore it, Rowland suddenly received a large influx of orders from Japan and South Korea, and the pin quickly sold out. She could barely keep up with the demand!
I can't take any more orders for paint palettes now everyone. I have reached the capacity that one pair of hands is capable of. I will restock when I can!!!!
Is today real?
— Kate Rowland (@helloiamkathryn) June 10, 2019
4. The mysterious buyer
Marc Dominus, a 65-year-old Dallas painter, had only sold paintings to his friends until V happened upon his work. By chance, BTS visited the Kettle Art Gallery to avoid being hit by rain. V approached Dominus and asked to buy two pieces of his work.
The paintings were 24 x 36 acrylic on canvas. I painted them about ten days before he bought them. As a matter of fact, he had bought two of the most recent paintings I had done.
— Marc Dominus
V purchased these gorgeous, vibrant paintings for $450 USD each.
It was a night the artist would never forget!
That night, not only did I sell a painting to a complete stranger, I sold two paintings to a complete stranger. An extraordinarily famous stranger.
— Marc Dominus
