Made with Millennial Sensibility... A User Guide to the Newtro Sanctuary 'Jongno'

Jongno-gu to Promote 'Jongno-gu x TBWA Junior Board Project' Until December... College Students Dreaming of Advertising Provide New and Fun Ideas to Enjoy Jongno

The first week session of the Hanok Salon program held at Mugaewon on the 14th of last month

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu (District Mayor Kim Young-jong) is partnering with university students aspiring to become advertisers to officially launch the 'Jongno-gu x TBWA Junior Board Project' starting in November.

This project is conducted in connection with the social contribution education program operated by the global advertising company TBWA, which provides university students with industry experience opportunities.

Millennials, representing the university student generation, will provide ideas to enjoy Jongno?known as the holy ground of so-called 'Newtro'?in a fresher and more fun way. The district plans to use these ideas to promote Jongno-gu both online and offline.

* Millennials: The generation born between the 1980s and early 2000s. They have been using the internet since adolescence and are proficient with mobile devices and SNS, showing significant differences in consumption trends and culture compared to previous generations.

* Newtro: A neologism combining 'New' and 'Retro.'

University students came up with six creative ideas under the title ‘User Guide to Jongno by the Millennial Generation’: ▲Buːjokhan Exhibition ▲Jjintro Recommendation Center ▲Newtro Personality Analysis Jongno-type NBTI ▲Hanok Salon ▲Things That Get Better with Age ▲Jongno Usage Etiquette.

The first program, ‘Hanok Salon,’ held every Wednesday from October 14 to November 18 at Mugyewon, aims to reduce the psychological distance millennials may feel toward Hanok (traditional Korean houses) and widely promote their excellence.

Through SNS, participation applications are accepted from young people aged 20 to 35, and special lectures on historical culture are being held on themes such as ‘Talk on the Joseon Dynasty Social Class System,’ ‘Talking about Love in Joseon,’ and ‘Walking through Hanok in Movies.’

Especially on November 11, the 5th week, Park Woong-hyun, CEO of TBWA KOREA and a well-known advertiser famous for ads like ‘Age is Just a Number,’ is scheduled to share stories about the unfamiliar beauty of Hangul, generating much anticipation.

The ‘Buːjokhan Exhibition,’ an exhibition for the small and precious entities of Jongno streets, will also be held from November 14 to December 13 at various locations. Nicknamed ‘Buingongdeulrodo Jokhan Exhibition,’ event zones, photo zones, and exhibition walls will be set up at places like Marronnier Park and the Jongno Promotion Center. Photos of discoveries around Jongno will be taken and related advertising slogans created to produce a single exhibition piece, which will also be used for calendars and online promotional content in the future.

The ‘Jjintro Recommendation Center,’ which lowers the psychological hurdle to enter old shops that people have hesitated to visit due to reasons like “It seems like a place only for adults” or “I wonder if I’m allowed to enter,” is also noteworthy. This project offers millennials new and enjoyable cultural experiences while helping old shops revitalize through generational customer replacement. Fifteen Jjintro shops in Jongno, which have been operating for over 20 years as of their opening date, have an average visitor age of 40 or older, and possess concepts that young generations would also enjoy, will be selected. Posters highlighting each shop’s attractive points will be produced and posted on November 17, and a Jjintro board game will also be created and distributed.

The ‘Newtro Personality Analysis Jongno-type NBTI,’ where participants find their own Newtro type through a personality test and receive introductions to customized Newtro spaces, also draws attention. An online-based personality test page will be created to introduce various shops and spaces in Jongno, with the purpose of promoting historical figures from Jongno related to these themes. From the 16th of this month, the Newtro preference analysis site can be accessed via the district office website and Jongnotong Instagram.

‘Things That Get Better with Age,’ meeting people who become more charming as time passes like the rings of a tree, will be presented in card news and newsletter formats on the Jongnotong blog and Instagram. Under the subtitle ‘Old Episodes of Jongno Told by the Characters Jwaeui-jong and Ueui-jong,’ interviews with elderly residents of Jongno will be conducted.

The ‘Jongno Usage Etiquette’ campaign, which adds consideration to travel, will be launched on the 13th in Bukchon Village. While Bukchon may be a place for tourists to take memorable photos or enjoy dates, it is a living and everyday space for thousands of residents. Accordingly, specially produced posters and cup holders will be placed in shops around Bukchon, and specially produced posters will be posted on Bukchon street lamps.

Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno-gu, said, “I recommend that future prospective advertisers put their heads together, explore every corner of the district to discover hidden gems, participate in the personality analysis test, and experience Jongno in a more fun and unique way.”