| I'M GLAD I'M NOT IN LOVE IN SOUTH KOREAMy | | | | LoveCompanies eying the increasingly wealthy |
| birthday falls on February 17th so I've never been | | | | Korean market - in particular it's younger |
| all that excited about Valentine's Day, preferring | | | | generation, are savvy to incorporate these |
| instead a day that's all about me! Plus, like many | | | | holidays into their marketing campaigns.The simple |
| others, I hate the commercialization of holidays. It | | | | image of the Absolut Vodka bottle has been used |
| could be worse however; I could be in love in | | | | for years but evolves in creative ways to convey |
| South Korea.Korean CoupledomWith love | | | | different things in different cultures. Sometimes it |
| celebrations falling on the 14th of every month, | | | | is as simple as changing the text of the |
| plus anniversaries and important milestones (i.e. | | | | advertisement and at other times the image itself |
| 100 days since a couple has met), South Korea | | | | changes. Consider the following ads. The first was |
| has perfected the commercialized of romantic | | | | used in South Korea in advance of White Day and |
| relationships in a way that would make even | | | | is very similar to an ad used in Miami aimed at the |
| North American marketers envious.It all starts | | | | Hispanic population. Vodka as an expression of |
| with Diary Day in January, where lovers present | | | | your undying love has also been used in |
| each other diaries with all the important | | | | Valentine's Day campaigns in North American |
| aforementioned dates circled in red. With the | | | | (incidentally the same image was used again with |
| plethora of dates to observe throughout the | | | | the captions "Absolut Bravo" and "Absolut |
| year, it's probably the most practical of the love | | | | Amica").The OpportunitySo if vodka spells love, |
| holidays!February 14th is celebrated in much the | | | | what implications are there for your product? |
| same fashion as it is in North America, except it is | | | | Koreans trying to woo their lovers are always on |
| the girl that does all the giving. The guy then has | | | | the lookout for something novel or cute (in South |
| a month to ponder what to get his gal in return | | | | Korea cute sells (think Hello Kitty), not sex).For |
| and reciprocates on White Day, usually with | | | | Canadian wine producers, what better day to |
| elaborately wrapped candy. Rose Day, Kiss Day, | | | | launch a new product than Wine Day on October |
| Silver Day, Photo Day and Hug Day are all quite | | | | 14th? Money Day in December may seem |
| self-explanatory.And don't worry about singles in | | | | overtly consumerist but Christmas is not widely |
| Korea. April 15th, Black Day, is set aside for them | | | | celebrated. I guess South Koreans decided to |
| to commiserate together and publicly eat noodles | | | | embrace the excesses of the season without a |
| in black bean sauce, in the hopes of meeting their | | | | religious pretext and it's a great time to introduce |
| soul mates. If they are so fortunate, one month | | | | a new consumer product to South Koreans.If you |
| later they can express their newfound love (or | | | | would like more information about love holidays, |
| infatuation?) by exchanging yellow roses. The | | | | send me an e-mail and I'll pass along a news |
| unlucky (some may say lucky), who are still | | | | article with more details. |
| dateless, meet for curry.Searching for | | | | |