Popularity Rivaling Idols... Mister Trot Emerges as a Big Star in the Advertising Industry

Non-mainstream 'Trot' Once Consumed Only by Middle-aged and Older Generations
New Consumer Base Encompassing 1020 Youth
Performing Singers Receive Love Calls from Advertising Industry

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] On the morning of the 4th, inside the Hapjeong Station in Seoul, a screen billboard displayed birthday congratulatory messages and photos of singer Jo Myeong-seop posted by the 'Jo Myeong-seop Official Fan Band' over the past few weeks. This is the so-called 'tribute billboard,' once exclusive to idol singers. Among fandoms, there is even a competition for popular stations such as Samseong Station, Myeongdong Station, Hongdae Entrance Station, and Hapjeong Station. The more advertisements displayed in the subway, the more it signifies that the star is currently 'trending.'

Stars from Mister Trot are rising as big names in the advertising industry, enjoying popularity that spans the 10-60 age group. This is positive because it allows brands and products to increase recognition not only among the traditional trot main consumers in their 50s and 60s but also among potential consumers such as teenagers.

According to the distribution industry on the 5th, LeesK Cosmetics announced last month via their official Facebook that they selected singer Lim Young-woong, the winner of Mister Trot, as the new model for their cosmetics brand LeesK. Lim Young-woong is also active as a model for Ssangyong Motor’s Rexton, a program production sponsor, and appears in viral content for the clothing brand Wellmade.

Electro Land selected Na Tae-joo, a Mister Trot alumnus, as their brand advertising model. The advertisements are being launched through TV and social networking services (SNS). Na Tae-joo, a member of the Taekwondo group 'K-Tigers,' showcases Taekwondo choreography and vocal skills in the ads while introducing the benefits of the 'Top Efficiency Ten-Ten Festa.'

Photo by Korea Yakult

Ilhwa recently appointed Nam Seung-min, who was active in Mister Trot, as the advertising model for the barley carbonated drink Makcol. Nam Seung-min sings a trot version of the Makcol song in the commercial.

Jo Myeong-seop became the model for Modern Rice, a probiotic fermented rice brand. Known for his rustic tone despite his age and nicknamed 'Aeoreun' (child-adult), Jo Myeong-seop, often called the 'guardian of traditional songs,' was selected as the advertising model because he fits well with the brand image.

Korea Yakult is launching a new footage advertisement for 'Fermented Red Ginseng Balhwi,' featuring trot singers. Footage ads are commercials made using clips from dramas or variety shows. The first version was produced using footage of Lim Young-woong and Young Tak. The scenes of the cast and product consumption were cross-edited to the original song 'Have a Drink' sung by Park Gun.

Following 'Miss Trot,' the origin of the domestic trot craze, the hit show 'Hangout with Yoo: Ppong For You' succeeded, completing a three-way structure with Mister Trot. Miss Trot alumna singer Song Ga-in and Yoo Jae-suk’s alter ego 'Yoo San-seul' also received much love.

The popularity of trot across generations has been proven through big data analysis. Innocean Worldwide recently reported in their big data analysis report titled '2020 New? Trot Year Reborn Beyond Songs into Content~' that mentions related to 'trot' increased 1.8 times in 2019 compared to the previous year. Search volume increased nearly tenfold. This result was based on analyzing about 240,000 related data produced through major blogs, cafes, and social networking services (SNS) from January to December last year. Notably, the search proportions for people in their 20s and 30s were 34% and 28%, respectively, indicating increased interest from younger generations.

An advertising industry official said, "Unlike in the past, with video platforms now thriving, a program achieving over 30% viewership is astonishing for industry insiders," adding, "If teenagers and people in their 20s had not watched, such ratings would never have been possible, and the appearance fees of the cast members in the advertising market will inevitably rise."