Chapter 148: A New Advertisement (3)
Chapter 148: A New Advertisement (3)
After the fan meeting ended, Seo-yeon realized belatedly that she hadn't said thank you.
She didn't know exactly why he had handed her the coffee. She could only guess that he had seen her looking a bit down and tried to comfort her.
But regardless of his intent...
I just took the coffee and that was it.
All she had said after receiving it was, "Why are you here?"
Since she had something to discuss with Park Jung-woo anyway, she figured she should buy him a meal sometime. And since she was thinking about it, she decided to contact him right away.
That was the reply she got.
He said he was terrified of what kind of scandal might break if he met an actress one-on-one. Especially a minor.
Actor Park Jung-woo’s firm opinion was that they should never, under any circumstances, be spotted alone together.
Nothing I can do about it, then.
She decided to buy him that meal later. Since Park Jung-woo didn't reply further, she put it out of her mind.
Actually, there was another reason she wanted to treat him to a meal.
I was going to ask him about Writer Min Se-hee.
Since they were currently filming Sky Garden, she could easily talk to the writer herself without going through Park Jung-woo. However, it felt a bit awkward. She had tried to ask Park Jung-woo, who was close to the writer, what she liked, but she had failed.
Did he catch on?
As expected of an actor, he was quick-witted. He must have sensed like a hawk that she had a favor to ask. It was exactly the kind of thing Park Jung-woo would do.
Anyway.
This fan meeting had affected Seo-yeon in many ways. She never expected to meet them there.
“……”
Thinking about it certainly made her thoughts complicated, but...
Let’s think about that later.
Seo-yeon shifted her gaze. She was currently traveling in the car of her manager, Park Eun-ha.
Today was the day. It was the day of her meeting with the chair brand, 'Adiz.'
*
“Hello, I’m Kwak Hyun-woo, the team leader of the Adiz Advertising Planning Department.”
“Hello, I’m actress Ju Seo-yeon.”
As they exchanged greetings, she felt the other person sizing her up. It was a look Seo-yeon was quite familiar with. Many people had looked at her that way before.
She knew the reason. First, because she was young. And in the past, it was because they doubted her skills due to her lack of experience.
It was roughly that same feeling, but now it was a different kind of doubt. Seo-yeon had actually encountered this specific look once before.
The PD of 'Play Until the King' had that exact look.
To put it bluntly, it was a gaze filled with the thought: Why is this person here?
But it was slightly different from back then. Back then, it stopped at "Why is an actress like this here?" Now, it felt more like: "Why is an actress like this here? Just how much is she planning to squeeze out of us?"
It’s because Adiz doesn't use expensive models compared to their brand reputation.
Apparently, using expensive models hadn't been very effective for them. For the record, this wasn't something she knew from her past life; it was simply something she had read in a recent internet article.
In contrast, their business was currently expanding. However, due to the fierce competition in the domestic chair market, they seemed to be looking for a breakthrough.
“I’ve seen you on TV a lot lately. The éclat Étoile commercial you did recently was very good as well.”
Once they entered the meeting room, Kwak Hyun-woo spoke first. A compliment to start. It was the basic of basics. You had to make the other person feel good first to make it easier to gauge their intentions.
Kwak Hyun-woo was observing Seo-yeon in various ways, just as she suspected.
Why did you come to our company?
He couldn't exactly ask that outright. Moreover, seeing Seo-yeon in person, she wasn't someone he could casually ask such a thing as a joke.
I heard she’s a high schooler, turning eighteen soon.
She was very young for an actress. However, her appearance and aura were definitely not those of a young actress. For one, her expression didn't change, making it hard to read her thoughts. Her eyes, which had a hint of red, were so calm that it felt like she was peering right into his mind.
Even as Kwak Hyun-woo enthusiastically brought up the movies and dramas Seo-yeon had appeared in, she only nodded. She didn't show much of a reaction beyond that, which made him feel increasingly uneasy.
The manager seems to trust the actress a lot.
As if all decisions were made by the actress herself, the manager just sat there listening quietly. Usually, with young actors, the manager handles the meeting alone, so this was quite an unusual case.
“……May I ask why you wanted to set up this meeting?”
In the end, Kwak Hyun-woo spoke up first. Regardless, if it was about a commercial, he had to turn her down and send her back. Since he had just given her plenty of compliments, she probably wouldn't hold a grudge. He didn't plan on using Seo-yeon as a model for now, but you never know what the future holds. It was best to keep all professional relationships on good terms.
It was then that Seo-yeon, who had been watching Kwak Hyun-woo for a moment, spoke.
“To start, I’m quite interested in being a commercial model for Adiz.”
I knew it.
At Seo-yeon’s words, Kwak Hyun-woo thought, Of course. Just as he was wondering how to phrase his rejection...
“Sky Garden.”
“?”
“Sky Garden is currently looking for sponsor brands. An announcement was posted recently.”
Why is she telling us this? Why is an actress talking about drama sponsorship?
Even if a sponsorship slot was open, chair advertisements were awkward to fit in. More importantly, he didn't even know what kind of drama Sky Garden was. He wasn't an industry insider, so how was he supposed to know the plot of a drama that hadn't been released to the public yet?
“Sky Garden is a drama that primarily deals with the stories of students.”
To be precise, it was a satire on private education and academic elitism. Therefore, it went without saying that there were a massive number of scenes showing students studying—at school and at home.
By that point, Kwak Hyun-woo was starting to get interested. He thought he understood why Seo-yeon had brought up Sky Garden.
She’s saying that sponsoring 'Sky Garden' would be effective.
However, Seo-yeon didn't say those words out loud. Asking for a drama sponsorship wasn't something an actress should say. Instead...
“I’ve been cast as the protagonist of Sky Garden.”
“……The protagonist?”
“Yes.”
Kwak Hyun-woo briefly compiled the information he knew in his head.
Ju Seo-yeon has definitely never played a protagonist before.
He had heard that she won a lead role in a recent film audition. That final round had been a huge topic of conversation. However, she had only won the role; she hadn't actually appeared in the film as the lead yet. All the films Seo-yeon had appeared in so far were questionable to call her the 'protagonist.' In one, she was the villain. In the other, she was classified as a lead, but honestly, her screen time wasn't enough to be called the main character. A lead-level supporting role, perhaps.
But the protagonist this time.
He had heard she was a rising star, but the pace at which she was taking on projects was extraordinary. Just how many projects was she filming in a single year? That was his general thought. But then again, top actors sometimes appeared in dramas across all three major networks simultaneously, so Seo-yeon wasn't necessarily unique in that regard.
The protagonist of 'Sky Garden' and sponsoring chairs for that drama…
There was definitely merit to it. The problem was that he didn't know how much merit.
“But is it okay for you to tell us this? Talking about who the cast is so carelessly…”
“It was made public yesterday, so it’s fine.”
Ah, is that so?
When he quickly checked the internet news on his smartphone, there were indeed articles about Sky Garden. Ju Seo-yeon had been confirmed as the protagonist. The articles were quite prominent, so it clearly wasn't a secret. Since the sponsorship announcement was also public, this wasn't exactly confidential information either. Seo-yeon had only stated information that was already known. If anything, he was the one embarrassed for not knowing all this.
The timing is coincidental.
Adiz was actually planning to launch a line of student chairs. Development was already complete, and they were just debating the launch date. Naturally, a commercial model hadn't been decided upon yet.
This product is definitely important.
The Korean chair market was currently saturated. It was even filled with overseas brands. In this situation, Adiz was looking for a breakthrough, and since their main strength was office chairs, they wanted to focus on student chairs this time. Considering that, Sky Garden was certainly an attractive project. Not to mention its lead, Ju Seo-yeon.
But…
Kwak Hyun-woo’s dilemma deepened. He still questioned whether they really needed to use an expensive model. Seo-yeon watched Kwak Hyun-woo’s face.
That’s a relief.
Sensing his hesitation, Seo-yeon breathed a sigh of relief. There were only a few things Seo-yeon knew about Adiz. In her past life, they had launched a student chair line, but they had been completely pushed out by another chair brand that came out around the same time, resulting in a huge loss.
The reason they were completely crushed was precisely because of Sky Garden. The chairs sponsored in Sky Garden did such a perfect job of brand-making as student chairs that Adiz was literally smashed without even putting up a fight.
But that brand is a bit…
Three years into the future, they would be caught illegally importing cheap Chinese parts. There would also be a power abuse controversy, and the models who appeared in those commercials would all end up with a tainted image. So, Seo-yeon hoped Adiz would take that spot.
For the record, Adiz was also the brand of chair Seo-yeon had used in her past life. It was the chair at the job she had barely managed to get.
If Adiz takes that spot, there won't be any problems.
In fact, Adiz was a better fit for the image. Their performance was actually rated higher, and the chair they were launching this time was explicitly a 'student-only' chair. Perhaps it would have an even greater impact than in her past life.
After thinking that, Seo-yeon spoke.
“I don’t expect a high contract fee.”
As if driving a stake into the hesitating Kwak Hyun-woo, Seo-yeon said, “You only need to pay me as much as the models you currently use for your commercials.”
“Pardon? Is that true?”
Kwak Hyun-woo’s eyes widened. Wait, what was happening? If that was the case, then what? Forget the dilemma, he had to sign her immediately. Even without considering Sky Garden, it was a deal he had to take.
“Instead.”
“Ah, yes.”
At the word 'instead,' Kwak Hyun-woo calmed down. Of course, there’s a condition. If it’s something ridiculous…
“Please film it very beautifully.”
“……Excuse me?”
“Specifically, make me look intellectual.”
“……??”
Kwak Hyun-woo wondered if she was joking. But looking at Seo-yeon’s dead-serious face, she seemed to be in earnest.
“Is, is that the only condition?”
“Yes.”
“Then.”
“You really have to make me look beautiful.”
“Of course.”
He wondered how many times she was going to emphasize that.
But is this really all?
Kwak Hyun-woo was bewildered. Asking to be filmed beautifully in a commercial? I mean, it’s a commercial, of course they would film it beautifully. That’s what he thought, but...
“Ah, yes, yes. I understand. Of course we will.”
Regardless, this was a chance to use a trending star for cheap. Kwak Hyun-woo wasn't an idiot; he had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
*
And so, Seo-yeon concluded the negotiations. She hoped that Adiz would sponsor Sky Garden as much as possible.
I know that spot was filled at the very last minute.
It had even been in the news. They didn't have a chair sponsor, so they were just going to use whatever was available until one came in at the end. Then, the article said it became an unexpected hit. From then on, that sponsored brand took over the entire student market.
One day, while she was filming Sky Garden with those expectations...
“Ah, another sponsorship came in.”
Writer Min Se-hee spoke with a look of deep concern. Just as Seo-yeon had hoped, Adiz had come in as a sponsor a short while later.
“I’ll be the one directing the PPL anyway, so don’t worry too much about the script.”
Director Kim Il-soo said with a boisterous laugh. Since PPL meant the product had to appear in the work, the writer naturally had to worry about the script. Of course, there were many writers who didn't care at all. In those cases, the director usually covered it through their staging.
Thank goodness.
Seo-yeon breathed a sigh of relief inwardly at the conversation around her. Adiz had properly placed the PPL just as she had suggested.
“Seo-yeon, you’re supposed to appear in this chair commercial, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I saw the poster recently. It came out very beautifully.”
Director Kim Il-soo said with a smile. It was quite common for an actor appearing in a drama to also appear in its commercials.
“Ah, so that’s why the PPL came in.”
Min Se-hee seemed to understand belatedly. It was indeed a good opportunity. Provided the drama did well, of course. But honestly, Min Se-hee lacked confidence.
……But can it really do well?
She lacked the certainty that the script she had written would succeed. Everyone said it was good, but it felt very different from the usual atmosphere of terrestrial broadcasting.
“Sigh.”
As she was letting out a sigh with those thoughts, she felt a strange gaze nearby.
“……?”
When she turned her head, she saw Seo-yeon’s face. Min Se-hee was genuinely startled by the sight of her staring intently, having approached without her noticing. She wished the girl would at least make some noise.
“Writer Min Se-hee.”
“Ye-yes?”
“……Could we perhaps talk for a moment?”
At those words, Min Se-hee froze.