In
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, Korean celebrities often work with
South Korean commercial and advertisement industries. Companies are quoted as saying that they use
Korean idols
An idol () refers to a type of celebrity working in the field of K-pop in fandom culture in South Korea, either as a member of a group or as a solo act. K-pop idols are characterized by the highly manufactured star system that they are produced by ...
to change their brands' image to a young, fresh one and promote their goods to a younger, wider, and global audience. This page focuses specifically on Korean idols in domestic and foreign advertisements. The items or goods that Korean idols advertise are not limited and can include shopping malls, school uniforms, health insurance, cars, and water filtration devices. They can also appear in commercials that promote common goods such as driving safety, environmental health, and safe cell phone use.
Songs and music videos as forms of advertisements
Including the cost of travel, costumes, staffs, special effects, and many other factors, most
K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
music videos have high costs;
T-ara
T-ara (; ko, 티아라) are a South Korean girl group formed by MBK Entertainment in 2009, consists of four members: Qri, Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon. T-ara's career is marked by hook-heavy dance-pop music, a result of their close partner ...
's song "
Lovey-Dovey" and
B.A.P
B.A.P (; an acronym for Best Absolute Perfect) was a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 under TS Entertainment.
B.A.P made their musical debut with the single "Warrior" on January 26, 2012, followed by the release of their debut EP ''Warrio ...
's "One Shot" are said to have cost about 1 million dollars each.
[Like Money – k-Pop Music Video Production Costs Explained website]
KPOPALYPSE, 19 Nov. 2015. To support these costly videos, product placements frequently appear in idol groups' music videos. Most common product placement in idols' music videos tends to food, clothing, cell phones, headphones, beauty care, and drinks. Idols emphasize their product placements by using them, playing with the, or holding the items close to their faces. Examples include "Level headphones" in
Exo
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
's "
Call Me Baby
"Call Me Baby" is a song recorded by South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo, as the lead single of their second studio album '' Exodus''. It was released on March 27, 2015, through SM Entertainment, in both Korean and Chinese.
The song peaked at n ...
", "Baskin Robins ice cream" in
Red Velvet's "
Ice Cream Cake
An ice cream cake is a cake with ice cream as the filling for a swiss roll or a layer cake. A simpler no-bake version can be made by layering different flavors of ice cream in a loaf pan.
Ice cream cake is a popular party food, often eaten a ...
", "Mr Pizza's pizza" in
SNSD's "
Lion Heart", and countless more.
[MV That Feature Product Playment website]
YouTube, YouTube, 29 July 2017[K-POP MV'S THAT ARE ACTUALLY ADVERTISEMENTS! website]
YouTube, YouTube, 1 Aug. 2016
![SNSD Cooky Phone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/SNSD_Cooky_Phone.jpg)
Addictive melodies and tunes are common marketing techniques used in commercials. In some commercials, idols sing a short song dedicated to the product they are selling, such as
SHINee
Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...
's short commercial song that emphasized characteristics of a Korean snack called "bbushuh bbushuh". Sometimes, idols alter their songs or trending songs to advertise a good. More uncommon but not rare, there are some instances when idol groups develop whole, new songs or music videos solely to advertise goods. For example, a girl group,
Apink
Apink ( ko, 에이핑크, ja, エーピンク) is a South Korean girl group formed by IST Entertainment (formerly Play M Entertainment, A Cube Entertainment, and Plan A Entertainment). The group debuted on April 19, 2011, with the extended play ...
, and a boy group, B.A.P., collaborated to create a song and a music video called "Skoolooks" that advertised Skoolooks' new uniform for girls and boys. Another example is SNSD's song and music video, "Cooky"."Cooky" was also the name of an
LG smartphone, and in the music video, the members can be seen dancing and playing with the "Cooky" smartphones as they sing "Cooky, cooky". These commercial music videos have the same characteristics of standard K-pop music video with its addictive hook and 3–4 minutes time length.
In other cases, idols use concepts or themes, which they had incorporated into their music videos, in commercials. For example, the idol group, Exo, used a superpower concept, where each member had a special superpower, in their music video "
Mama
Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to:
Roles
*Mother, a female parent
* Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority
*Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels
Places
*Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement ...
". And in a
KFC
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...
commercial, each of the group members used a superpower concept, which they had in their music video, to promote the flavors and characteristics of KFC's new menu, hot chicken mala.
[16 Times K-Pop Idols Turned CFs Into More Than Just Ads website]
Soompi, Soompi, 24 Oct. 2016.
Idols in advertisements targeting international audiences
Korean idols not only advertise domestic products, they often advertise global or international products. For example, in SNSD's music video, "
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
", members can be seen playing with a toy figure of an airplane with a "Thai Air" logo.
[ In other commercials, groups Got7 appear in TV commercials in Thailand or groups like ]Twice
Twice (; Japanese: トゥワイス, Hepburn: ''To~uwaisu''; commonly stylized as TWICE) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaey ...
appear in Japanese TV commercials for mobile. Continuing on, in various countries, there are Pop-up stores that sell fan-goods, such as Twice-themed cafe in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...
-themed cafe in Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. These international pop-up stores are examples of idols being used as marketing tools to sell goods overseas.[OFFICIAL, P.B.A]
BTS Themed Restaurant in Lahore, Pakistan > BTS 4th Anniversary Project website
, ARMY's Amino.” ARMY's , Aminoapps.com, AminoApps, 5 June 2017 In addition, online shopping websites such as Amazon and other websites help distribute goods, advertised by Korean idols, to international fans. Korean online shopping websites help this distribution by including multiple language functions (such as English, Chinese, and Japanese) and allowing foreign-language speakers to navigate their websites easily. These websites often specifically target international fans by providing coupons or incentives for international shoppers from specific countries (Examples of this include providing free shipping from certain countries).[International Shipping Fee Discount Up to 50% Off website]
Gmarket-Korean No.1 Shopping Site, Hottest, Trendy, Lowest Price, Worldwide Shipping Available.
Advertisements promoting Korean idols
In Korea, posters promoting debuting idols or popular idols can be found on buses and posters in movie theaters. On several occasions, idol groups' fans often use their own money to promote their favorite group or group members. For example, on an idol group's anniversary or a member's birthday, posters advertising them or a single idol can be seen in many Korean subways. In Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
at New York, idols had appeared in Times Square advertisements as international fans attempted to celebrate a group's anniversary or a member's upcoming birthday.[Omega, War]
US Fans Show Love for K-Pop Idols in Times Square in NYC for Christmas website
Blasting News, Blastingnews, 18 Dec. 2017.
Criticisms and concerns
Some fans criticize product placements in music videos as being too shameful, obvious, and commercializing. Other fans had raised concerns about potential corruption or sexual coercion that are recurrently involved in sponsorship and advertisement deals.Sponsorships: Just Another Word For Prostitution?
Seoulbeats, 24 July 2017 Thus, rumors often circulate when an idol appears in many advertisements or accumulates popularity too quickly. There are organization and clubs in Korea that are dedicated to matching rookie or unpopular celebrities to rich, powerful sponsors. Sponsors can potentially give advertisement deals, money, and goods in exchange for sexual services.
See also
*
Sex in advertising
Sex appeal is often used in advertising to help sell a particular product or service. According to research, sexually appealing content, such as imagery, used for marketing does not need to pertain to the product or service in question. Rathe ...
References
{{reflist
K-pop
Marketing techniques
Promotion and marketing communications