[Photo courtesy of IPX (formerly Line Friends)]

Digital IP entertainment company IPX (formerly Line Friends) has teamed up with AI entertainment tech company Galaxy Corporation's artist G-Dragon to unveil the official character IP 'ZO&FRIENDS', which embodies the artist's identity.

This collaboration brings together IPX, which has honed its creative capabilities through various global IP businesses, and G-DRAGON, an icon of innovation who has led global trends across music and fashion, to introduce a new character IP that promises a special experience for fans worldwide.

[Photo courtesy of IPX (formerly Line Friends), the character IP 'ZO&FRIENDS' created by G-DRAGON and IPX]

'ZO&FRIENDS' is a character IP that combines G-DRAGON's iconic tastes and inspirations from his daily life with IPX's creativity. It features ZOA, a character based on G-DRAGON's cat 'Joah', and A&NE, representing his symbol 'Daisy'. The name ZO&FRIENDS not only signifies the friendship between ZOA and A&NE, who become 'good friends', but also plays on words to encapsulate G-DRAGON's unique sensibility and the concept of the ZO&FRIENDS character IP.

The artist's intention to convey healing and comfort is embodied in 'Joah (ZOA)', a cloud cat born from the clouds and always moving in slow motion with a seemingly indifferent yet kind demeanor, 'A&NE', a lovable meddler with a unique fashion sense, and 'AKI' and 'ZAKI', playful color balls born from Joah's colorful footprints. The special walk guided by the imperfect yet perfect friends, ZO&FRIENDS, is a pure play and a beautiful art that will offer magical emotions.

IPX presents a fairy-tale-like world view and sensibility different from existing K-pop artist IPs, based on G-DRAGON's rich imagination, emotional mood, and individuality. It is expected to provide the public with a more relatable and comforting IP experience.

This project was planned over about two years, with G-DRAGON deeply involved in every step, from naming the characters, designing the logo, setting the world view, creating the storyline, to developing products and planning the pop-up store. To commemorate the launch of the 'ZO&FRIENDS' IP, IPX will open a pop-up store this summer and gradually introduce it globally.

IPX has maintained a close relationship with G-DRAGON through various IP business developments. Last December, IPX successfully collaborated with G-DRAGON's fashion brand 'PEACEMINUSONE' and the celebrity keyring brand 'MONAMHEE', which IPX is developing globally, to introduce a character IP keyring with IPX's creativity through the 'PMO X MONAMHEE Pop-up' at Line Friends Square Myeongdong.

An IPX representative stated, "The 'ZO&FRIENDS' collaboration with G-DRAGON is expected to grow into a character IP that possesses both artistry and popularity by interpreting G-DRAGON's sensibility into fairy-tale and symbolic objects," adding, "We plan to expand the possibilities of the ZO&FRIENDS IP business by creating a fresh impact with G-DRAGON's world view combined with IPX's storytelling capabilities."