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You’d think they’d learn, but they’re getting even more out of touch and even more comical–almost offensively so. Take this very sleek tourism ad highlighting Korea’s food scene. Now one of the strengths that international writers praise about Korea’s food scene is its excitement and energy.

This is to Korean food what eunuchs are to porn. Yes, it’s all pretty… pretty bland! Sterile. And we have to include topoki ddeokbokki and makkoli because they just can’t let those campaigns die. People are smiling, but they are eating their food like picky nine-year-old emperors. Some of you may like this ad, but it just makes me feel disappointed. Korean food can be marketed so much better than this.

Now check out this one.

Wow, you feel like you want to visit Korea after seeing all these cultural stereotypes?

As with many tourism videos and channels (including Arirang), they never get it that their job is to make Korea appealing enough for you to visit. They don’t really think about their intended audience. Instead they make ads and shows for Korean audiences–ads that puff up their chests, brag about trivial little things that they think are great about Korea, and reinforce already narrow cultural stereotypes of foreigners.

Cultural masturbation.

It’s funny about the accomplishments they tout in the video, which the placard says is intended for the U.S.

  • Korea will host the 2018 Winter Olympics–as if it’s the only country to ever hold a winter Olympics–marketed to a country that has already held quite a few Olympics.
  • World’s 7th largest exporter–so there are six that are ahead of you, including the U.S., which is #3.
  • Korea has popular TV dramas–popular in east Asia, but not so in the U.S. That part of the Korean Wave likely won’t crash into the U.S. as hard as it did in other countries with not-as-strong entertainment industries.

Seriously, who greenlighted this?

There are extremely smart and creative people in Korea, but it looks like those people aren’t in charge of the branding.

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