SEOUL: The latest television campaign for Megapass, South Korea's
largest broadband internet provider, is benefiting from rising
anti-Japa- nese sentiment in the country.
The commercial, aired during primetime on Korea's major networks,
features the computer-generated image of one of Korea's most potent
icons: the national statue of Admiral Yi Sun-shin. The greatest military
hero in Korean history, he is credited with turning back the 1592
invasion by sinking the Japanese fleet off the southern coast of
Korea.
The Megapass commercial has some fun with the admiral. His statue comes
to life and leads a bumbling crew of computer geeks in a modern
nuclear-powered ship into battle. However, the light-hearted spot ends
on a slightly ominous note - it fires a beam that obliterates a city on
the horizon in a mushroom cloud. A voiceover proclaims Megapass to be
the "most powerful internet connection in the world".
The targeted city is not mentioned but featuring the admiral has led to
the assumption that it is in Japan.
Anti-Japanese sentiment has run high in Korea in past months over
several incidents, including Japan's approval of a controversial school
textbook.
"The commercial is not meant to be a metaphor for anything," said Ahn
Hae-ik, creative director at Cheil Communications, who led the team that
produced the spot. "We just wanted to invoke a popular image of a great
innovator in promoting broadband."
Ahn said response had been "very strong".
Not all agree the spot is harmless. "This ad was definitely meant for
Korean eyes only," said a foreign marketing executive based in
Seoul.
"Its militaristic overtones are a bit disturbing."
