After a pitch that reportedly included sub-par ideas from at least two agencies, Cass Beer’s recent creative review, which saw it part ways with seven-year incumbent Welcomm Publicis, once again threw the spotlight onto Korea’s creative culture. As usual, it does not make for pretty viewing.
Despite a relatively mature economy and the kind of film industry that some Asian countries would kill for, Korea’s creative output - it appears - remains stuck in neutral. Woonghyun Park, ECD at TBWA Korea, considered one of the country’s more creatively-inclined contenders, makes no bones about his desire to win international awards. “I judged Cannes 2002 and I had a hard time sharing the social context of our advertising,” explains Park. “I would love to win international awards, but my first priority is this market. If I can do it smartly, I can do both.”
Park’s optimism may be a little misguided. Korea has opened up over the past two decades, but there is little sign that its creative product is paying much heed to the rest of the world. “The history of Korea is very conservative and the system is based on the Confucian philosophy that focuses on the group rather than the individual,” Park says. “Humour is not that important compared to the West.”
The common invocation of the country’s Confucian culture, however, conveniently overlooks the tremendous creative success enjoyed by Korea’s larger neighbour. “The best way is to compare it with Japan - because Japan is also psychologically isolated and dominated by duopoly,” says Ogilvy & Mather regional co-chairman Miles Young. “But Japanese creatives look at the outside world and genuinely engage.”
Young’s views are echoed by Joe McDonagh, ECD, Cheil Communications, who adds that clients must take a large share of the blame. “The creative briefs most of us work with are not exactly loaded with consumer insight,” he notes. “The market doesn’t celebrate the universal truths through its advertising like other major markets.”
Park admits that “usually the client has the bigger share of voice, even though they have the wrong opinion”, but adds that things may be changing for the better.
“Even LG Electronics is globalising; when I go to meet them, the atmosphere is changing,” he says. “It’s a little more liberal and relaxed - and with a bit more of a sense of humour.”
Taken together with a 20-second TVC limit and a censorship board that regularly asks for commercials to be re-shot, Korea’s young creatives, says Young, “feel absolutely repressed”.
The domestic awards show, meanwhile, is rarely viewed as being totally independent.
While Young sees little progress, noting that in-house agencies are becoming in vogue once again at the chaebols, both McDonagh and Park profess a cautious optimism, pointing out that the focus is shifting from advertising to ideas.
Park points to a recent SK Energy campaign, which defied convention by producing the country’s first-ever 60-second spot.
“But because international judges don’t have any understanding of SK, they may not understand the ad,” he says of its awards show chances.
“If we had McDonald’s, Nike and adidas as big players, maybe the CEOs of those companies would have the same criteria as the other countries. But Samsung, Hyundai and SK focus on the local market and therefore, they have their local criteria.”
