PRESS
UKIUKI’s First Product Debut at the 2015 All Cat Festival
Sep
Originally reported in Korean pet media, September 2015. Adapted for international readers.
GOYANG, South Korea — In August 2015, Ukiuki made its first public appearance at the All Cat Festival Summer, held at Kintex Exhibition Center in Ilsan. It was here that the brand’s flagship product — UKIUKI Chicken Breast — was officially introduced to the Korean cat community for the first time.
The All Cat Festival: A Perfect Stage for a New Brand
The 2015 All Cat Festival was one of Korea’s largest annual gatherings for cat lovers, featuring TICA and CFA cat shows, charity bazaars, and an artisan market. For a new brand like Ukiuki, it was the ideal venue to connect with passionate cat owners face to face.
ETBE Retail (now Ukiuki Corporation) set up a booth at the festival, offering visitors the chance to see, touch, and purchase the product before it was widely available online.
What Made UKIUKI Chicken Breast Different
At a time when most Korean cat treats competed on price, Ukiuki took the opposite approach. The product was positioned as a premium, single-ingredient treat — something the market hadn’t seen before:
- 100% pure chicken breast from Harim, a trusted Korean poultry brand
- Human-grade meat, not by-products or fillers
- Freeze-dried to preserve nutrition without additives or preservatives
- Cat-specific — designed exclusively for cats, not the general pet market
The idea came from founder Ham Seung-Jin’s own experience with TBE, her notoriously picky rescue cat. After struggling with commercial brands, she turned to raw food principles and freeze-drying technology to create something she could trust.
Festival-Exclusive Pricing and Giveaways
Festival visitors received special offers that weren’t available anywhere else:
- Festival price: 15,000 KRW (regular retail: 20,000 KRW)
- Free animated pouch with every purchase
- Free Ukiuki stickers for all booth visitors
These incentives helped generate early word-of-mouth among the most engaged segment of Korea’s cat community — exactly the audience Ukiuki needed to reach.
What Came Next
The All Cat Festival debut marked the beginning of Ukiuki’s product roadmap. At the time, the company announced plans to release UKIUKI Tuna and UKIUKI Salmon in the second half of 2015.
Today, Ukiuki’s product lineup has expanded well beyond those first three flavors, and the brand sells globally through Amazon US, Amazon Japan, and Rakuten. But it all started at a single booth in Kintex.
👉 Read more about the product story behind Ukiuki Chicken Breast
At the 2015 All Cat Festival, UKIUKI offered an introductory price of ₩15,000 (regular ₩20,000),
along with a limited-edition animated pouch and free UKIUKI stickers for all visitors.
Following this debut, UKIUKI announced plans to release Tuna and Salmon varieties in the second half of 2015.
👉 Read more about the product story behind Ukiuki Chicken Breast
