[비즈한국] Familiarity is a powerful asset for a brand, but it can sometimes be a weakness. The longer consumers have known a brand, the more they think they already know what it sells and what kind of image it has. A single new product or advertisement is rarely enough to turn their heads. Yet, one cannot create something entirely new every time. Ultimately, what matters is how you present what you already have in a new way.
The brands that gained attention in August slightly twisted the application of their familiar assets. Helinox’s chairs, once seen primarily at campsites, became tools for urban relaxation while listening to music, and Burger King dressed a global franchise in the 'sensibility of a local home-style restaurant.' Yongsan I'Park Mall transformed a shopping center into a space people visit intentionally for their 'fandom activities,' and the thousands-year-old classic 'Odyssey' began to be read again after meeting Christopher Nolan's film 'Odyssey.' Instead of talking about procedures, the aesthetic medicine platform Gangnam Unni began a long conversation about the standards of appearance set by society.
For August, BeMyB selected Helinox for ‘Wearing,’ Burger King for ‘Eating,’ Yongsan I'Park Mall for ‘Staying,’ ‘Odyssey’ for ‘Enjoying,’ and Gangnam Unni for ‘Using.’ Every month, they examine over 100 brands encountered in daily life and select top brands by category based on identity, timeliness, differentiation, communication, and buzz.
Something new does not necessarily start from something that didn't exist before. It starts by making the familiar feel unfamiliar. That is the different approach shown by the brands of August.
Wearing: When camping chairs met shoes, ‘Helinox’
The collaboration product that Helinox launched with Crocs at the end of July sold out all its online stock in just 5 minutes. The combination of an outdoor brand known for its chairs and tables making shoes feels unfamiliar. However, looking at the direction Helinox has taken in recent years, it is not a sudden choice.
Helinox's brand philosophy is ‘AT HOME, ANYWHERE’—the idea that you should be able to rest comfortably wherever you are. The important word here is not 'camping' or 'outdoor,' but 'anywhere.' Therefore, Helinox has continuously moved its familiar camping equipment to unfamiliar places.
At the complex cultural space ‘Camerata Hwang In-yong Music Space,’ they held a ‘SUMMER MUSIC CAMPING’ event, allowing visitors to rest in Helinox chairs and tables while listening to music. They also provided products for singer Jang Beom-june's guerrilla concert project ‘Busker Busker’ and ‘Reading City,’ which combines electronic music with reading. As chairs once seen on mountains and campsites entered concert halls and reading spaces, the meaning of the same product changed.
The products are the same. They have made patches, chairs, gym sacks, and duffels, and have collaborated with brands like Supreme, Leica, and PAF. Last year, they launched ‘Helinox Wear’ with Kolon FnC, transferring the technology and design accumulated in camping equipment to clothing. Adding this Crocs collaboration, they now have a lineup ranging from chairs to bags, clothes, and shoes under the name Helinox.
Even so, the brand does not look disorganized. This is because before expanding their products, they first established the criteria of 'comfortable rest anywhere.' Instead of just making more camping gear, Helinox is transferring the experience gained from camping gear into other parts of daily life.
Eating: Why Burger King brought out the ‘Local Home-style Restaurant’ vibe
The phrase ‘Breakfast is available’ appeared in front of Burger King stores. It's not a particularly new sentence, but when placed under the logo of a global hamburger franchise, the story changed. In late July, as Burger King expanded the number of stores selling breakfast menus, they put up primary-colored posters and stand-up signs. Instead of sophisticated advertisements, they chose a design that reminds people of a neighborhood home-style restaurant (baekban-jip).
Burger King has always been skilled at twisting its brand image. When they re-released the ‘Truffle Mushroom Whopper,’ they parodied a popular dating show, and before the launch of the ‘New Whopper,’ they surprised consumers with a message about the ‘discontinuation of the Whopper.’ This time, they created fun from the mismatched combination of a global brand and an old Korean eatery.
What is interesting is that on the other hand, they are preparing a completely different face. At ‘Flame Ground,’ the world's first flagship store opening in Seongsu-dong, they are highlighting Burger King’s core asset: ‘Flame-grilled flavor.’ Unlike typical fast-food stores, they plan to elevate the flame-grilled flavor into a gourmet experience by providing exclusive menus and tasting courses.
On one side, they are friendly like a local eatery, and on the other, they are serious like a premium restaurant. Although they seem contradictory, they are the same in that they make people look at the familiar Burger King in a new way. They know how to break their own long-standing brand image rather than just protecting it.
Staying: From shopping to ‘Fandom activities,’ the transformation of Yongsan I'Park Mall
Shopping malls are familiar. They are places to buy clothes, eat, and watch movies. The problem is that people no longer visit shopping malls just for these reasons. You can buy most items online, and delicious food or movie theaters are everywhere. Yongsan I'Park Mall added ‘taste’ to this.
Recently, content with strong fandoms, such as animation, games, and character goods, is rapidly increasing at I'Park Mall. The global figure brand Good Smile Company store, which opened early this year, saw 10,000 visitors in just one week. Stores like the Chiikawa Shop and Bandai Namco Korea Store have settled in, and they have also created the experiential space ‘Dopamine Station’ and a pop-up exclusive space ‘The Corner.’
The direction of their events is also clear. Rather than content that is moderately popular with everyone, like ‘Mallang Festa,’ which gathered characters like Mallangi and Wakppubol, or the ‘I'Park Mall Keyboard Festival’ with over 20 professional keyboard brands participating, they chose tastes that strongly resonate with specific people. In addition, they strengthened designer/street fashion and running/outdoor brands so that people who came to see the content would naturally continue to shop.
The change is also reflected in the numbers. According to BeMyB data, total sales at I'Park Mall increased by 38% compared to the same period last year during the time the number of visitors to the Dopamine Station increased. It is the result of changing the shopping mall from a ‘place many people might visit’ to a ‘place someone must visit.’
Enjoying: A 3,000-year-old story feels new, ‘Odyssey’
Paradoxically, the hottest movie this summer brought out the oldest story. Director Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ brought Homer’s epic ‘Odyssey,’ written about 3,000 years ago, to the screen. It is the story of Odysseus returning to the kingdom where his family waits after the Trojan War.
As the movie became a hit, an unexpected wind blew through the classics. At Kyobo Book Centre, book sales including keywords related to ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Odyssey’ increased by about 600% in July compared to the same period last year. On Millie's Library, search volume for ‘Greek and Roman Mythology’ jumped 3.6 times the daily average before the release. Many in their 20s and 30s also picked up the Greek and Roman myths they read as children.
Another device that made the 3,000-year-old story feel new is the screening method. To properly see the screen of the work filmed with IMAX film, audiences moved to find special screening theaters. In particular, the CGV Yongsan IMAX, which realizes the original aspect ratio, saw heated ticket competition, and 'expedition viewing' from other regions to Seoul followed. The difference in screen size between IMAX and regular theaters became a meme and circulated online.
The interesting thing about ‘Odyssey’ is that cutting-edge movie technology was not used for a completely new story. Rather, it was attached to a story that humanity has been reading for thousands of years. The meeting of the oldest content and the most modern movie experience made people want to re-read a familiar classic.
Using: Aesthetic medicine platform asks about the ‘standard’ of beauty, Gangnam Unni
You would think an aesthetic medicine platform would talk about which procedures are popular, how much they cost, and which clinic has good reviews. However, these topics are not the focus of the YouTube content that Gangnam Unni has recently started.
In the podcast titled ‘Standard Deviation Meeting’ (referring to departing from standards), designer Park Si-young, YouTuber Honorary Foreigner, and Publisher Muje director Kim A-young appear. They talk about ‘acting your age,’ ‘taste,’ ‘control,’ and ‘appearance evaluation.’ They exchange their experiences and thoughts for nearly an hour on the standards that society subtly demands of people.
The background of the change lies in the rebranding conducted last July. Gangnam Unni unified its global brand name to ‘Unni,’ and changed its logo and app UX. They are moving beyond just providing aesthetic medicine prices and reviews.