The Coffee Ad That Fell from the Sky
After that day, we lived on edge, fearing another incident might occur, but surprisingly, nothing happened.
We were too busy to worry about other things.
We handled music broadcasts, fan signings, and various schedules, living in a whirlwind of days.
It felt like we needed two bodies.
“Wow, we got an ad?”
And we heard the news that the first ad after debut had come in.
“Really? What kind of ad?”
“It’s a coffee ad.”
Along with a call from the company manager about the coffee ad proposal, we received a schedule for daily meetings with the company for simple meetings.
“Wow, finally an ad for us….”
Behind Na Jae-hyun who was excited, Lee Hyo-seop appeared, drinking coffee at a good timing.
Lee Hyo-seop was gazing out the window with a satisfied expression, as if shooting a coffee ad.
“Won-woo likes coffee?”
“Well, not really.”
A blank laugh escaped at the unexpected question.
Like coffee? More like survival fuel that I drank to stay alive rather than because I liked it.
During school days, whenever I held the problem book all night, coffee was what I had in my mouth. There were many days when I downed several cans of coffee to stay awake.
Yeah, I drank it in school days for studying, but after becoming an idol, I drink it to endure the brutal schedules…
From early morning hair makeup, dozing in the moving vehicle, to late-night practices. To keep my mind together, I needed coffee in the end.
So, it became a natural daily life to have a glass of iced Americano in hand.
In the end, coffee was an indispensable existence, whether from past life or this one.
It was just a drink I drank to endure, but now a proposal came to shoot a coffee ad for it…
It was a strange feeling.
“…I drank this often.”
At that time, Jeong Hui-min muttered quietly.
“Ah, you like this?”
Seeing him say this much, Jeong Hui-min seemed in a good mood.
Jeong Hui-min, who had a default of expressionless, was drying up even more due to the crazy schedules recently, but with the news of the ad shoot, his expression brightened for the first time.
“Still, we shot an ad and debuted for real, so it feels real.”
“How many times have I heard that line? Now it's time to feel it.”
The conversation was more lively than usual with the news of the ad shoot.
It was certainly the first ad shot with the name Starlight, so it was exciting. Everyone's first experience would be exhilarating.
We headed to the company to hear the explanation about the ad shoot. Since we were newbies without ad experience, the agency seemed to be paying more attention.
“First, the ad will be shot in 10 versions according to the number of members.”
Versions per member?
“The overall concept will be given as a storyboard, so please check it.”
Since there were 10 versions, the stories and dialogues differed per member.
But the overall concept was the same.
“It’s a coffee ad, but it has a somewhat unique concept…”
Unlike a typical coffee ad, it was set in an apocalyptic world.
“Coffee to drink in a world that's destroyed?”
“Oh. Interesting.”
Members were already reading the storyboard with concentration.
I also shifted my gaze to the storyboard.
It doesn’t seem to be shot long.
Since it was a short, thick ad with strong impact, impact was important.
I checked the storyboard I received. Unlike a typical coffee ad, it started with a somewhat unique story.
A man walking in the destroyed world. He walks staggering with a tired expression, falls on the street. As his consciousness fades away…
Someone hands him coffee, and the man who doesn't know what it is drinks it. He wakes up from sleep like a miracle.
It’s really dramatic.
Reading it, it was clear it was an ad requiring acting skills.
From the acting of walking and suddenly falling, acting of consciousness fading, and finally drinking coffee and showing a lively expression…
Can I do it well?
I forced acting skills I didn't have in moments needing acting, but I couldn't be sure if I could do such detailed acting.
“Wow, this seems like it needs good acting.”
Other members were also talking about acting, as if they felt the same point after roughly checking the storyboard.
“Want to see?”
“Huh?”
“Seemed curious.”
Han I-jae, who met my eyes, suddenly handed me his storyboard to read.
How were the other members…
I read Han I-jae's storyboard.
“Oh.”
It was true, as they shot 10 versions per member, the stories were tailored to each member's characteristics.
Han I-jae's storyboard was set in an apocalyptic world as a crazy dancer who is obsessed with dancing. Wearing a headset, listening to music while walking, he dances breakdance alone in the middle of the destroyed world.
And it proceeds like busking, and when people around gradually gather and the atmosphere builds up, suddenly coffee falls from the sky.
“It’s quite unusual. Suddenly coffee falls from the sky.”
“Normally, since ads have to implicitly convey the meaning to be delivered in a short time, it has to be like that…”
“Want to see mine too?”
At that time, Kang In-hyeok handed me his storyboard as well.
Let me see.
A man who was lonely because there was no one to talk to in the destroyed world.
Then he meets a talking AI coffee vending machine and talks, and the vending machine spits out coffee.
Then the man who was moved by drinking the coffee hugs the vending machine and ends the ad.
Each one really has different stories.
The problem was whether we could make good use of these.
Since it was an ad that required acting skills and had some story, if done wrong, it could become a talked-about failed ad.
“We’re trusting you guys, so let’s shoot it diligently.”
With Kwon Hak-jin’s words, other members nodded.
Since it was the first ad, we had to shoot it without any mishaps. Especially, there must be no incident where we are mocked as ‘fake’ or something.
Until the ad shoot, we carefully read the storyboards and memorized them, and devoted ourselves to acting practice in the room.
The acting of suddenly falling while walking. And consciousness fading…
“How is it? Okay?”
Lying on the bed, head turned while face pressed to the pillow.
Bodi, who met my eyes, quietly raised his arm to make an X mark.
“I don’t have soul.”
“What soul.”
“Just like a student who studies during exam period and falls asleep without doing anything.”
…That’s exactly my story?
But, isn’t that a problem?
“It’s acting the appearance just before death, but it’s too lovable!”
“…Lovely is not allowed?”
If you’re an idol, no matter what, if you look lovely, it’s a plus, right?
But Bodi shook his head and said with a firm voice.
“You have to look pitiful. Like a person who is really eager for just one sip of coffee!”
I scratched my head.
I don’t know about that…
I could handle dancing and singing with repeated practice somehow, but acting without a definite answer didn’t come easily.
Should I just ask the company to open an acting academy.
But since the schedule was so busy, there wasn’t enough time.
Other members were also preparing diligently in their own ways. It wasn’t something to take lightly as an ad shoot.
“I’ll do it again.”
I reset my mind.
Even for a short few seconds, I was trying my best.
I didn’t want to shoot the first ad with an awkward feeling.
“Hmm…”
Bodi sat on the chair, watching my acting as if he were a judge.
The acting of walking and suddenly falling. This part received positive reactions.
“Oh, it’s really real. You look like a real person fainting. Like someone who has fainted before.”
“I have fainted.”
Bodi blinked silently for a moment.
“Studying too much and overworked.”
“…….”
Bodi looked at me with somewhat pitiful eyes, wondering what kind of studying would lead to fainting.
Anyway, it was a good experience. Seeing that I could use it now.
“But the acting of dying is really not good. You have even experienced dying, so why can’t you do this?”
“…That was instant death.”
Of course, this guy casually says creepy things.
Of course, the death was from the past, and it’s irreversible, so it wasn’t unpleasant. But the thought that acting of dying is really hard…
“Aaaaa.”
Lying on the bed with eyes closed. Unless you’re a genius, it’s hard to raise acting skills in a short time.
Other members had less emotional acting, but I had many cases that required various things from falling acting to dying acting.
And the one method that flashed in my mind.
There is a way to handle it with tricks without raising acting skills.
It was the method that came to mind first when receiving the storyboard.
With this, I could go easily.
Ha, do I really have to use that?
Because of my last pride, I didn’t want to use this as much as possible.
I tried not to rely on system abilities as much as possible.
In the end, I had no choice but to get up.
“I can’t. I have to use that.”
On the day of the ad shoot.
After finishing makeup to match the ad concept, we entered the main shooting.
Before shooting started, there was something specially prepared for today’s ad shoot.
Right, the title I acquired recently.
Weak.
If I use this, it has an effect that causes pathos and sympathy stimulation.
I thought I should use it when I need to look pitiful, but I didn’t expect it to be used this early.
Since it’s acting the moment of dying, this should be the time to look pitiful.
So, the shooting started, and I moved as prepared.
Just by applying the title and walking, the effect of looking pitiful appeared from the beginning.
Then, the acting of walking and falling, gradually losing consciousness.
“Oh… what is this?”
“The friend is really good.”
It was acting that was no different from usual, but thanks to the title effect, the reactions of the people watching were different.
“Why does it hurt so much?”
Everyone was pouring out admiration, as if impressed by my acting.
Of course. Just wearing this title makes you look somewhat pathetic even if you just drink water.
Title release.
And when shooting the final scene of drinking coffee, I release the title at the perfect moment. Thanks to that, the pathetic atmosphere disappeared and a lively mood was created.
“You’re really good at acting for a rookie!”
I was getting praise for acting well, even though I just took off and put on the title.
“What?”
After shooting, I smiled as if nothing happened.
Bodi, quietly clapping while watching from afar, appeared.
Even in the survival show, but after debut, I was gradually becoming someone who only knows how to use tricks.