'35 Million Likes' Viral Ad... A Collaborative Work Capturing the Daily Lives of Two Sisters

Innocean KCC Geonseol Switzen Advertisement
Team Leader Min Seonjeong & Director Kim Sehee Duo
Leading the Revival of Hyperrealism Trend

A part of the advertisement "Clash of Civilizations Season 2 - Emergence of a New Civilization" for KCC Construction's apartment brand Switzen, produced by the advertising company Innocean. As of the 5th, the YouTube views have exceeded 35 million.
[Photo by Innocean]

The advertisement "Clash of Civilizations Season 2 - Emergence of a New Civilization" for KCC Construction's apartment brand Switzen, produced by the advertising company Innocean, surpassed 35 million views on YouTube as of the afternoon of the 5th. As a sequel to the 2020 advertisement "Clash of Civilizations," it depicts the process of a couple from the previous installment having a child and growing into parents. Achieving over 35 million views on YouTube for an advertisement video is rare, with only a few, including Hyundai Motor Company's "Hills on Wheels," reaching such numbers. This reflects the explosive interest in "Emergence of a New Civilization."

The reason why the advertisement "Emergence of a New Civilization" has garnered such attention is interpreted as it resonating deeply not only with couples raising children but also with the younger generation. This is evident in the comments on the video. Comments expressing empathy with the family life portrayed in the advertisement, such as "It well expresses the reality and pain of family, and the happiness in between," and "The happiness I dreamed of, the simple daily life," dominate.

Min Seon-jeong, team leader at Innocean, who led the planning of the advertisement "Clash of Civilizations Season 2 - Emergence of a New Civilization" for KCC Construction's apartment brand Switzen.
[Photo by Innocean]

Innocean regards "Clash of Civilizations" as a prime example of "hyperrealism" advertising, which captures everyday moments to evoke empathy. Hyperrealism has been a favored advertising technique in the industry since the past. A representative example is LG Telecom's 1998 "Love's 019 Baby Edition." This advertisement shows a mother letting her husband hear their baby say "Dad" for the first time over the phone. Even after more than 20 years, it is still talked about and has moved and resonated with the public at the time. Since this advertisement, hyperrealism advertising has become widely used in the industry, and according to the company, the trend has recently come full circle and become trendy again.

The "Clash of Civilizations" series was led in planning by Team Leader Min Seon-jeong of Innocean, with Director Kim Se-hee overseeing production. They also collaborated on campaigns such as Hanwha's "Korea's Space Dream Tree." Instead of directly revealing and explaining the subject, they choose to imprint the brand on the public through content that evokes empathy or curiosity. Advertisements produced through such collaboration have won numerous awards at various advertising festivals. This "Emergence of a New Civilization" is also expected by the industry to be a strong contender for awards at upcoming advertising festivals.

Kim Sehee, director at Innocean, who oversaw the production of the KCC Construction apartment brand Switchen's advertisement "Clash of Civilizations Season 2 - Emergence of a New Civilization."
[Photo by Innocean]

Team Leader Min said, "I don't think what we do is simply making TV commercials," adding, "To make people empathize with the values the brand wants, we approach it with the thought of what kind of content can be the most attractive and powerful based on the planning and production team's joint considerations." Director Kim also stated, "There must be parts that consumers can nod along to," and "I think it is important to turn such messages into a voice of empathy."