Netflix and Walmart turn KPop Demon Hunters fandom into an NYC night market
Netflix and Walmart's free HUNTR/X Night Market brought KPop Demon Hunters to NYC with charms, ramen, photo booths and collectibles.
For KPop Demon Hunters fans, choosing between Rumi, Mira and Zoey is more than picking a favorite animated character. The fictional K-pop trio HUNTR/X gives the film's audience a set of personalities, looks and songs to identify with. A new fan experience in New York turned that connection into something visitors could wear, photograph and take home.
Netflix and Walmart brought the film into the real world with a free HUNTR/X Night Market at 45Grand in SoHo on October 10 and 11. Produced by CNC Agency, the pop-up combined themed shopping with photo opportunities, customized keepsakes and food experiences. Its premise, “Let Your Inner HUNTR/X Shine,” invited visitors to express their own connection to the trio rather than simply browse a product display.
Table of contents
Jump to each section:
- Inside the HUNTR/X Night Market
- Why the night market format fits the fandom
- What brand marketers can learn from the pop-up
Inside the HUNTR/X Night Market
The space took cues from Seoul's Myeongdong shopping district, which also inspired scenes in the film. Instead of organizing the venue as a conventional store, the partners used a series of stalls that let fans move between different parts of the KPop Demon Hunters universe.
At Mattel's Hunters' Charm Bar, visitors could personalize a keychain with themed charms. Colgate's Smile Studio offered a neon-lit photo booth and printed photo strips. Nongshim's Shin Ramyun After Dark served themed instant noodles with custom-wrapped chopsticks and special toppings. Arcade-style games, Derpy Tiger plush toys and giveaways added a collector-friendly element.
Portrait photographer and posing coach David Suh also made surprise appearances to offer selected guests posing advice inspired by HUNTR/X's confidence. The pop-up connected Walmart's KPop Demon Hunters merchandise range with activities that made the characters feel tangible.
Why the night market format fits the fandom
A night market is a natural setting for a fandom built around music, style and character identification. Visitors could assemble an accessory, pick a photo pose or try themed food, making the experience participatory rather than purely promotional.
Netflix senior director of consumer products Tanya Isler explained to BizBash that the team drew inspiration from the vibrant marketplaces of Seoul's Myeongdong district. The choice connected the retail experience to the film's visual world while creating space for different partners to contribute.
The format also gave participating brands distinct roles. Mattel supported personalization, Colgate created a photo moment, and Nongshim supplied a food experience. Walmart provided the retail connection. Together, the stations gave fans several reasons to spend time with the property, not just one product to buy.
The pop-up is separate from Netflix House's ticketed KPop Demon Hunters immersive experience planned for Dallas and Philadelphia in November. The New York event was a temporary, free retail-linked celebration, not the same attraction.
What brand marketers can learn from the pop-up
The most interesting part of the HUNTR/X Night Market is how it turns fan identity into activities people can actually do.
1. Let people personalize the fandom. A customized charm or character-inspired temporary tattoo gives visitors a small way to signal which part of the story they connect with.
2. Give partners different jobs. Food, photography, toys and shopping work together when each station contributes a distinct experience rather than repeating the same branding.
3. Make the retail connection feel natural. The products available at Walmart sat alongside themed activities, so shopping became one possible continuation of the visit rather than its only purpose.
The event illustrates a broader possibility for entertainment licensing: a merchandise collaboration can also function as a shared space where fans practice the rituals of a fictional world. That does not prove the pop-up drove sales, and no attendance or conversion figures were verified. It does show how a retailer and streaming platform can translate screen-based affection into physical experiences with room for several commercial partners.
