Chapter 340: Model Debut (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 340: Model Debut (3)
I didn't know much about fine jewelry or high-end fashion. It was mostly because Spark had never worked in those sectors before. Besides, I wasn't exactly the type of person to go around wearing rings or necklaces myself.
So, when Lee Cheong-hyeon’s pictorial was first released, my impression was a vague "it turned out well," but I couldn't be certain if it would successfully go viral. Advertising, after all, has to hit the target audience. Whether the photos looked good and whether Lee Cheong-hyeon fulfilled his potential as an advertising model were two different matters.
At first, I struggled a bit to find the right way to check the reaction. I started by piecing together short mentions from blog influencers and online communities. Then, I checked the fashion newsletters I’d subscribed to in advance to see if they mentioned the change in promotional models. I also monitored whether the brand included Lee Cheong-hyeon’s photos in the new collection announcement emails sent to those who had agreed to receive promotional mail. As a result, I began to see reviews that were slightly different in nature from what I usually monitored.
≫ Liness is promoting their new arrivals with a male model~
I went to the department store and was surprised—I thought it was a model with a boyish look at first!
I haven't seen this very often, so it was quite refreshing.
The male model actually suits the jewelry quite well~
I originally went in to buy something else,
But since it was a new arrival, I was tempted~ The product is so pretty, too.
The seller kept complimenting me, saying it was a perfect match for me,
So I ended up bringing this little one home~
≫ Liness Introduces New Model for the First Time in 3 Years
Liness has chosen a new muse after three years. This is the official first step of the "3-Hwa Project" mentioned during the Q1 conference.
The contract with the new muse, Cheong-hyeon, is explained as part of the 3-Hwa Project, which aims for "Change," "Premiumization," and "Flowering."
.
.
.
Attention is focused on whether the introduction of a new muse will lead Liness one step closer to the "borderless beauty" it pursues.
≫ Liness Korea’s new face is ○○○!
Remember the "Brands I Love" survey conducted with subscribers back in April?
Liness, which took 3rd place with a staggering 29% preference rate, has reportedly chosen a male idol as its new model.
Isn't it interesting that a jewelry brand—not even a watch brand—hired a male model for women's fine jewelry?
Surprisingly, this happens occasionally in the jewelry industry. Shall we find out why?
The tone of each post varied slightly, but the conclusion was generally: "The new model isn't bad, right?" Lee Cheong-hyeon had coolly broken through the barrier of being "too young" to promote a luxury brand.
'Not that any advertiser or customer could see this and remain unconvinced.'
I pulled up the image that would have been displayed on outdoor billboards.
His black hair was slicked back perfectly without a single stray strand. His eyebrows were thin and dark, giving a sharp, clean impression, and his slightly parted, slender lips looked like an orchid drawn in a single stroke of fine ink.
On his long, white neck, a finely crafted chain necklace and a thick gold necklace were layered together. A bracelet, part of a set with the necklace, shimmered on the wrist he used to slightly tilt his chin upward. A gold bracelet shone over the sleeve of his black shirt, and a necklace with a small pendant sparkled against his white collarbone.
He wore simple attire that didn't distract from the jewelry. Yet, he possessed a captivating face that made it impossible to look away from the pictorial. In the photos, Lee Cheong-hyeon was the ultimate showcase, making the accessories stand out to the fullest.
That said, it would be absurd to say Lee Cheong-hyeon succeeded on looks alone. There are plenty of handsome people in the world—though Lee Cheong-hyeon is the most handsome among them, of course—and many were in a more advantageous position than him. Factors like experience or brand recognition among the 30-40 age demographic, for instance.
Overcoming all these disadvantages, Lee Cheong-hyeon had proudly secured the offer. His interview with Liness played a significant role in this.
When I heard an interview had been scheduled to discuss the ad proposal and coordination, I had prepared a dossier for him. I figured if I told him to memorize it on the way there, he’d do it without fail.
I was busy organizing everything from the Liness designers' tastes to the similarities and differences between collections over the last three years, along with expected questions and anticipated effects...
'Hyung, are you busy?'
'Not really. Why?'
'I organized some things for the Liness interview. Could you read through it once?'
...Lee Cheong-hyeon was doing the exact same thing. On his own, without being asked.
What was most surprising was that the materials he had organized were almost identical to what I was making.
While there were areas that needed supplementing, there were also things I had missed. Things like which accessories would have good synergy if he modeled them and which wouldn't, or how the primary customer base would perceive him.
'So you're saying you don't think you suit products with heavy logo-play?'
'I'd probably suit them. There's nothing I don't look good in. I just think it's tacky to use logo-play when you're hiring a new face to push for a more premium image.'
'Don't say that on-site, though. You don't know what they'll have you advertising.'
I wanted to point out that even he couldn't pull off the rusty "Cyber Warrior" look from the old Spark days, but I held back because his effort was so commendable.
'They probably feel the same way. There's a reason logoless brands are on the rise lately. You know the F/W trend was "Old Money" until recently, right?'
'You're really on top of this.'
'Half my clothes are luxury brands anyway. No one would know except for you, hyung.'
Cheong-hyeon shrugged. Just as he said, his private wardrobe was a mix of ordinary clothes and high-end luxury. I recognized them because I used to research his outfits whenever photos of his private fashion surfaced, but most of the Spark members had put his clothes through a lot of hardship—like throwing them in the washing machine—simply because they didn't have logos.
'It's your first time as a fashion model, but you did your research well. I thought you weren't particularly interested in fashion trends?'
'If you follow a group of parents from the Gangnam 8th School District around for ten years, you end up knowing a lot even if you aren't interested.'
Cheong-hyeon let out a short, dry laugh. He added, "I never thought I'd find a reason to be grateful to my mom."
As such, Lee Cheong-hyeon was a prepared talent who lacked nothing. Through constant practice, he had even achieved a sense of naturalness in front of the lens. On top of that, he possessed the "inner glow" effect and the "camera massage" benefits essential for jewelry pictorials that only show the upper body. What was there to fear?
I can say with confidence that it would be hard to find another model like him. A face like Lee Cheong-hyeon’s can't be found anywhere else, and as people in the industry realize this, his rarity will only increase.
'It hurts more when you know about something but can't have it.'
Once the new model receives a good response and Lee Cheong-hyeon’s value rises through continued activities, Liness Korea will want to use him as their main face, especially since his frequent domestic activities keep him constantly exposed to the public.
Whether he can move up to even higher-tier brands will depend on how we craft his image, but... well.
For someone of Lee Cheong-hyeon’s caliber, I’d say there’s a over 90% chance that love calls will come from everywhere once he’s on track. The advertising world prefers stable models, and a few top celebrities usually take up a huge portion of the pie.
'I should take him to see the outdoor ads soon and snap some photos.'
There’s no better model than one who genuinely cherishes the brand they represent. I contacted Manager Chan-yeong and shared the locations and times of the department stores I planned to visit with Cheong-hyeon.
Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon had to work steadily even after their pictorial shoots.
In Lee Cheong-hyeon’s case, the number of events he had to attend increased exponentially. He was busy handling schedules hosted by Liness, such as brand pop-up events and collection red carpets.
His routine involved barely making it to school for attendance in the morning, then hitting Apgujeong and Cheongdam-dong for red carpets, and finally coming to the practice room to train. In the midst of all that, he even carried a tablet around, claiming he was going to write songs.
As for Choi Je-ho, between print interviews, video interviews, additional shoots, and magazine features, I barely had time to see his face. According to him, the filming was fine, but the interviews drained his energy every time. He felt like he was saying a year's worth of words in a single interview.
The content was pretty funny, though. You could tell just by looking at the most recent video on MeTube, titled "Digging into Je-ho, the New Muse of Neydas."
『Je-ho, it became a hot topic when you revealed your closet full of Neydas clothes on Instagram. Is this... a bit for show?!』
『The clothes are comfortable and the designs are great. I liked them, but after the members saw my pictorial, they told me to take this opportunity to throw away all my old clothes. Before I knew it...』
『Ah, so it was the Spark members' idea! Did you get the employee discount as a brand model?』
『Yes. the members told me to just hand over my card, so that's what I did.』
『The track jacket pictorial was especially popular. Je-ho, do you personally like how it turned out?』
『My fans and... well, people seem to like it when I bare some skin.』
『That’s a very direct way of putting it! Don't you hear often that your actual personality is different from your first impression?』
『I hear that a lot.』
『In what kind of situations does that usually come up?』
『I went to an uninhabited island for a variety show once, and back then...』
The marketing team employee conducting the interview couldn't stop laughing. But Je-ho, the uninhabited island thing was your fault. I still can't forget Je-yeong Noona calling me to say that "Banana" had brought shame to the entire family.
Still, thanks to this interview, the formula "Spark’s Je-ho = Uninhabited Island Banana Leaf Man = Neydas Model" was firmly etched into the public's mind. His "Imperial" image might be fluctuating a bit, but isn't that just what star power is all about?
The progression was good. It was even better because they were growing faster than the Spark of the past while moving in a better direction, and the results were matching my expectations.
'Since it's come to this, probably soon...'
I tapped my diary with the tip of my pen. As if on cue, a message notification popped up in the bottom right corner of my laptop.
[Manager Chan-yeong]
[I-wol]
[An individual schedule came in. When you come to work tomorrow, should we head up to the office together first?]
Mm, I knew this would happen.