You’ve heard Lee Dong-gun sing (songs here and here), and you’ve seen Yoon Eun-hye’s latest CF video clip. Now they sing together.
The “Salad Song” (taken from Humming Urban Stereo’s “샐러드 기념일” [Salad days], which you can download at the link above) now reveals its full version, which features both actor-singers in a duet. Yoon and Lee are shown in recording sessions in the studio, interspersed with clips of Yoon Eun-hye eating fresh fruit and spraying herself (and plants) with water. (Because, lest we forget, we’re still selling something!)
Yeah, I knew that would get your attention. (The photo, I mean.)
Cast and crew gathered on July 15 for the press conference and screening of Summer Days. They’re calling this one a “crossover” film, but it’s not so much a film as it is yet more branded entertainment. They’re starting the branding with the description itself, calling it an “XNOTE crossover film,” XNOTE being a laptop put out by LG Electronics.
As I’ve mentioned before (regarding Anycall’s music videos, Anyband’s project group, Jang Geun-seok’s hair-product music video, and So Ji-sub’s cable-TV commercial), Korea’s got a way with branded entertainment. Western entertainment may produce engaging commercials, but they’re still always commercials first and foremost. Product placement is rampant and increasing everywhere (a friend who works on a U.S. television show tells me the writers routinely get notes from the studio about writing storylines around whichever cell phone they’ve got contracts with), but this kind of elaborate branding is something Korea’s integrated much more thoroughly (dare I say insidiously?).
Summer Days, for instance, is touted as ad campaign, short film, drama and music video all rolled into one, to unfold in seven episodes (each approx 4 minutes long; total running time is 30 minutes). They’ve brought on CF director Jo Won-seok and hired music director Yoo Hee-yeol, aka the singer-songwriter also recording under the name Toy. On top of that, we have three name actors, Hyun Bin, Shin Mina, and Ryu Seung-beom, acting out this adver-story about “love, friendship and conflict.”
In the “plot,” Ryu Seung-beom plays a “cheerful programmer,” Hyun Bin is an elegant architect, and Shin Mina takes on the role of a stylish film columnist. The first episode is titled “Morning After the Rain” and the second “The First Day of Summer” (wherein the three characters meet, unfolding like a short film). The third is called “A Day with Loud Cicadas” (featuring the notebook in a commercial-like format), and the fourth titled “A Day the Summer Breeze Blows” (a travel-themed music-video-like segment featuring a Yoo Hee-yeol song, “My Happy Day,” sung by Shin Mina). The fifth episode, “Tropical Night,” features the split between the three characters; the sixth is “Summer Night, Summer Day,” leading into the last segment, “The Day Before Autumn Starts.”
I’ve got mixed feelings about branded entertainment, but I guess everything’s selling something these days. So long as the product is entertaining (and honest about being quasi-advertisement), I suppose there’s no harm done. At least some of it produces (unintended) hilarity, like seeing Jang Geun-seok grooving along to pimp hair gel.
The LG XNOTE campaign launches mid-August via the Internet, broadcast television, cable TV, in theaters and in stores.
So Ji Sub makes his acting comeback in writer-director Jang Jin’s (Welcome to Dongmakgol, My Son) television debut project, U-Turn.
The four-part “special movie” aired its first episode on the 1st on cable channel OCN to favorable viewer response, and before the third episode aired on the 15th it enjoyed a sharp jump in repeat viewings. Although the Jang Jin and So Ji Sub combination could be expected to draw some amount of attention, the response has surprised even the broadcasters: “We didn’t expect the interest to be this high.”
As a result, songs from the movie are also enjoying rising popularity, such as a new track “Only You” from Go Yu Jin (of rock band Flower) and Wheesung’s “Love Seat” (posted below). The movie also integrates product-placement advertising, thus inciting further interest in commercial circles.
The plot is described as revolving around a “fateful” couple and their unfolding love story; So Ji Sub’s love interest is played by Lee Yeon Hee.
Seriously, if there’s one thing Korea knows how to do right, it’s branded entertainment. They did it with the Anycall series (Anyclub, Anymotion, Anyband), and many of their commercial ad campaigns and music videos are high-profile and large-scale, practically like mini-movies in and of themselves.
This time, the male cosmetics line Black ‘N Jean has tapped adorable rising star Jang Geun Seok, currently paining me as the unemotional Chang Whe in fusion sageuk drama Hong Gil Dong, as their brand model. And they’re sparing no expense for what basically amounts to a glorified hair-product commercial, bringing in kpop hitmaker Park Jin Young, aka JYP, to write the song that Mr. Jang sings himself.
The song, “Black Engine,” is a play on the cosmetic line’s name, and is described as hip-hop electronica; it showcases Jang Geun Seok gettin’ his groove on while acting cool and sporting a variety of funky hairstyles.
The guy is totally adorable, I get it. And he’s obviously rocking the young hip urban thing, which is why it’s interesting that he’s made his name starring in historical dramas. Here’s the MV for the campaign, which officially launches the 28th:
Wow, stuff spreads fast. Here’s the video for Anyband. (It’s hard to believe this is essentially just supposed to be an extended commercial. Seriously, branded entertainment has made the leap to the next level.)
Thanks to Veoh uploader person!
…and here are the two songs (sigh, I love Tablo). Despite not generally favoring mainstream kpop, I think I like. Interesting how you get four completely different artists, and you can hear all of them within the songs, rockin’ their own thang.
SONG(s) OF THE DAY
“Anyband” aka Boa, Tablo, Xiah Junsu, Jin Bora - “TPL (Talk Play Love)”
[ zShare download ]
