Fake Psys at the centre of two disparate campaigns

The Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB) has launched a social media promotion that takes advantage of the worldwide interest in Gangnam generated by the hit to explain the district’s essence and present its attractions.

A video under the banner ‘What is Gangnam Style?’ on the organisation’s Facebook page highlights the cultural attractions of the area satirised by the song (predominantly upmarket shopping, dining and nightlife) and its capacity to host business events. Garosu-gil is rather awkwardly described as 'Where the trendy hang out', while Teheran-ro is presented as 'Korea's Silicon Valley'.

The slightly stilted informative segments, set to 1980s-style soft rock guitar music, are interspersed with the familiar horse dancing and other imagery from the music video—all enacted by a mop-haired Psy ‘lookalike’.

Viewers of the promotion are invited to share their thoughts on Gangnam and Gangnam Style, with the winner of a draw to receive flights to Seoul.

Maureen O’Crowley, vice-president of the Seoul Convention Bureau, said the inspiration came from a barrage of questions on a recent trip to the IMEX America conference, an event for the incentive travel, meetings and events sector. O’Crowley said people were eager to know what Gangnam is really like, and whether it resembles locales such as Beverly Hills.

“Our video dives into the most popular areas of Gangnam to explore its famous attractions and interview actual Gangnam residents and visitors,” O’Crowley said. “Viewers will get a closer look at the trendy and exciting life of Gangnam, and may also be surprised to learn that Gangnam has long been Seoul’s powerhouse for international business and meetings.”

Meanwhile in China, Nivea has jumped on the Gangnam Style bandwagon for an altogether different purpose. A lighthearted new TV campaign developed by Draftfcb uses a play on words in an effort to persuade men to use its moisturising cream to protect themselves against the harsh winter. The commercial features another Psy copycat performing the dance in the snow, the twist being ‘jiang nan style’—which translates to ‘frozen men’s style’.

As with all pop phenomena, the clock is ticking for Gangnam Style's appeal, but Andy Chan, ECD for the account, said the craze “remains highly popular across the nation, particularly with younger men, who are our main target market”.

Sales of male skincare products in China showed a compound annual growth rate of 34 per cent for the period 2006 to 2011, according to Euromonitor International. The market value is estimated at US$1 billion and is currently led by L’Oréal.