'64-Year-Old National Seasoning Miwon' The Umami History Led by the Magic Powder Communicates as a Sub-Character... Limited Release of Heungmiwon

Special Package Featuring 'Heungmiwon' Sub-Character Targeting MZ Generation Introduced
Limited Application and Sale of Home-Use Miwon Products Including Fermented Miwon and Umami Miwon
'Heungmiwon' Advertisement On Air... Communication to Be Strengthened Through Various Channels

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] This year marks the 64th anniversary of the launch of the nation’s seasoning ‘Miwon.’ To boost brand awareness and build a friendly and lively brand image, Miwon has released a special edition package to strengthen communication with consumers.

Daesang announced on the 5th that it has launched the Miwon special package ‘Heungmiwon,’ which carries the meaning that the happiness felt from delicious food stimulates ‘heung’ (excitement) and creates a ‘life worth living.’ In response to the recent boom of ‘bucaek (secondary characters),’ targeting the MZ generation, which has emerged as a major consumer group, Miwon planned ‘Heungmiwon’ as its ‘bucaek.’

While the main character ‘Miwon’ adds ‘umami to enhance the taste of food,’ the secondary character ‘Heungmiwon’ conveys the core message of ‘enhancing the flavor of life.’ In particular, the Miwon special package features the lively dancing ‘Heungmiwon’ character and the phrase ‘Everyday Umami Explosion,’ emphasizing the message of ‘Heungmiwon’ that enlivens everyday excitement.

‘Heungmiwon’ will be sold for about three months from this month until December and will be available as household products such as ‘Fermented Miwon’ (100g) and ‘Umami Miwon’ (72g).

Along with the launch of the special package, Daesang began airing the ‘Heungmiwon’ advertisement from the 1st. Under the theme ‘A Pinch of Today’s Umami,’ the ad humorously portrays various relatable situations for the MZ generation in daily life, expressing them as ‘makes me want to do ~.’ The ‘Heungmiwon’ advertisement consists of five episodes: ‘Failure,’ ‘Annual Leave,’ ‘Wedding Invitation,’ ‘Tumbler,’ and ‘Feeling Excited.’ The ‘Failure’ episode delivers the lesson ‘Even if you fail, you can try again’ learned from a nephew playing games, humorously expressing ‘Failure, makes me want to do it.’ The ‘Annual Leave’ episode cleverly compares annual leave, half-day leave, and monthly leave to tea, which is good for stress relief, portraying the situation of taking time off at work as ‘makes me want to pick and enjoy.’ The advertisements are aired not only online on platforms like YouTube but also through offline digital media at locations such as Hongdae Entrance Station and Gangnam Station, as well as print ads across various channels.

A Daesang official said, “Recently, active marketing activities to communicate with the MZ generation have been underway, and ‘Heungmiwon’ was planned to expand brand experience so that Miwon can be felt more interestingly.” They added, “We plan to further strengthen communication with young consumers through various channels such as YouTube and TikTok in the future.”

There is youthfulness in the ‘Miwon’ marketing that Daesang has carried out so far. In 2018, Miwon 100g was marketed with the message that its umami is equivalent to that of one cow or 100 chickens, releasing packages with the phrases ‘Thank you for saving the chicken’ and ‘Thank you for saving the cow.’ The YouTube ads featuring singer Kim Heechul, titled ‘We saved 100 chickens today’ and ‘I saved one cow today,’ surpassed 3.4 million cumulative views and gained popularity. Earlier this year, reflecting the retro trend, Daesang published the Miwon recipe book ‘Miwon Sikdang,’ proposing recipes using Miwon across various cuisines such as Korean, Chinese, and Western, increasing touchpoints with young consumers. The book has received a good response, proceeding to a second print run.

Meanwhile, sales of Daesang’s household Miwon products under 1kg have shown a significant upward trend compared to the previous year. Sales in August grew about 27% year-on-year, and especially in May, when ‘Miwon Sikdang’ began full-scale sales, sales increased by 55% compared to the same month last year. This is analyzed to be due to the recent increase in demand for home-cooked meals, boosting Miwon’s popularity. Additionally, since adding Miwon before salting in various dishes can reduce sodium intake by about 20-40%, the sales volume is expected to increase further due to its sodium reduction effect.