So I was doing my routine rounds among the various KPOP sites out there on teh internets and I came across this interesting little ad that made me do a double take.
Exactly what message am I supposed to get out of this? Of course, I recognized the individuals in the banner as members of the mega KPOP group SNSD but even still… it all seemed out of context.
What if I weren’t so familiar with the latest KPOP world and I saw this ad? Then all I would see are 5 attractive young girls beckoning me to “Come to Seoul! GO”. Is this what a tourist can expect in the capital of South Korea? Beautiful women waiting at the airport to welcome me and wait on me hand and foot?
Of course clicking the banner clears things up a little bit as I’m able to see this ad is focused on one small part of the Korean tourism campaign, the yearly Seoul Dream Concert series. And suddenly it all makes a litte more sense but then another question came to mind, how do the other 4 members who were cut from the ad feel about their exclusion? Were they too ugly to trick and intrigue the average web surfer to navigate to the Seoul Dream Concert youtube page? Did the advertisement agency think they simply weren’t good enough to include in this crudely photoshopped montage meant to superficially represent an entire nation’s appeal?
Oh well sucks to be them.
And let’s be real… if they wanted to use half of SNSD’s likeness to bring in tourism, were those REALLY the best photos they could find?
I swear some dude at the ad firm let his middle school aged nephew run this campagin. It’s so mediocre and confusing that I actually want to go to Seoul less now.
[EDIT 7-22-09]
I have no idea if this post had anything to do with it, but today I noticed that the ads have been retooled and clarified.
It’s a step in the right direction and I’d like to say I had some influence but who knows for sure =).
a-Tunes 
so true. i didn’t get it either. i understand that the government is using the “idol culture” slash hallyu wave to rake in tourists—which is a sure fire way to attract other asian countries who are familiar with the trend. but idunno. it doesn’t say a lot about other aspects of korean culture that may appeal to a broader target audience. very well said and you really have great observation skills. keep it up!<3
Ever see the advertisements inside Korean newspapers? They’re basically on par with this banner.