[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Handsome is releasing a web drama. This is part of a ‘branded content’ strategy to build corporate fandom through video content.
Branded content refers to delivering the company’s desired message to customers naturally through various cultural elements, unlike traditional advertisements that unilaterally convey information.
Handsome, a lifestyle care company affiliated with Hyundai Department Store Group, announced on the 18th that it will release the web drama Byte Sisters on the 19th. The drama will be available on Handsome’s YouTube channel ‘Puche Handsome’. Handsome is the only company in the domestic fashion industry producing web dramas.
Byte Sisters is a fantasy drama about vampires who have lived on this land since the Gyeongseong era but do not trust humans. They unintentionally help humans in need and gradually open their hearts. The cast includes actors Kang Han-na (as Han Ina), Choi Yoo-hwa (as Lee Ji-yeon), Kim Young-ah (as Kim Mi-sook), and Lee Shin-young (as Jung Sung-min, Yoon Kyung-ho). The drama is directed by Han Ga-ram, who directed the film Our Body.
Co-planned and produced with CJ ENM, Byte Sisters consists of 10 episodes, each about 10 minutes long. Starting with episode 1 on the 19th, episodes will be uploaded sequentially every Tuesday and Friday at 7 p.m. on ‘Puche Handsome’ until the 19th of next month.
Notably, although Handsome produced this web drama, it does not expose the company name, logo, or brand at all.
Regarding this, a Handsome representative explained, “The MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), who mainly consume web dramas, dislike artificial and direct or indirect advertisements. We planned and produced the content so that viewers naturally develop curiosity about the products by subtly incorporating the excellent designs of major brands such as Time and System into the video without exposing the company name or brand.”
The reason Handsome created the web drama is to provide customers with new experiences to enhance the company’s brand image and simultaneously attract new customers naturally. Previously, Handsome was the first in the fashion industry to release the web drama Handmade Love in November last year, which proved highly effective in attracting customers. Handmade Love, produced as an 8-episode series, achieved a cumulative view count of 4.5 million, and the proportion of MZ generation viewers increased nearly twofold from 33.8% before airing to 62.4% after airing.
Moreover, product sales featured in Handmade Love also increased, boosting sales at Handsome’s premium online mall ‘The Handsome.com’. During the web drama’s airing period, sales at The Handsome.com rose by 105% compared to the same period last year. Among these, purchases by the MZ generation increased by an impressive 149%.
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