The Devilish Sales Strategy (1)
What would happen if you could insert product placement into a movie? In truth, the history of product placement is longer than one might think. To put it briefly, it’s the desperate struggle of production crews to earn enough to cover the costs of making a program. However, surprisingly, clear regulations regarding product placement didn't emerge in South Korea until 2010. In other words, from the perspective of the current era—the 1980s—engaging in product placement, whether in Korea or Japan, wasn't actually a major legal issue.
The real problem that arises is none other than "fun." If you make it obvious that it’s an advertisement, the audience's immersion in the work is shattered in an instant. In that regard, The God of Pachinko was a truly well-made film.
The protagonist, Hiroyuki Taneda, was handing a Super Genesis box to Jung-ah, who was set as the girl next door, with a bright, sunny face.
When Hiroyuki Taneda gave a wink, the sound of female audience members in the theater gasping in delight reached Yoon-gi’s ears. The scene shifted to the next day, and the actor playing Jung-ah’s father was captured on screen as he headed to the pachinko parlor as soon as morning broke. He was a good-for-nothing father who wasted his days at the parlor. As the actor opened the front door, he turned back with a slightly puzzled expression. What caught his eye was his daughter, completely absorbed in the game console. If it had been any other day, she would have cried and begged him not to go, but thanks to the Super Genesis, he was able to head to the parlor with a light heart.
The father character gave a sheepish laugh and headed to the pachinko parlor, and from there, the protagonist’s scenario unfolded.
The protagonist invested his entire fortune, aiming for the casino jackpot. Finally, with only one chance left, the protagonist pressed his forehead against his bracelet and prayed.
The bracelet, produced by Fernandez, was a keepsake left by the protagonist’s grandfather. As the bracelet suddenly seemed to glow, the protagonist pulled the lever, and finally...
The jackpot hit!
The audience jumped to their feet without exception and began to cheer, and a deep smile spread across the lips of Yoon-gi and Ryu Geun-tae, who were watching.
"It seems to be a success."
At Ryu Geun-tae’s whisper, Yoon-gi also nodded and began to watch the movie until the very end.
With the protagonist stroking the bracelet preciously and pressing his forehead to it once more, the credits began to roll. Simultaneously with the credits, the footage continued on one side, showing the protagonist and Jung-ah playing the Super Genesis with happy expressions, solidifying the friendship between the neighbor and the girl next door.
"Where can you buy that?"
A voice drifted over from a nearby seat. A deep smile formed on Yoon-gi’s lips.
The God of Pachinko was a massive hit in Japan. It went beyond being a promotional film and became a blockbuster in its own right. It surpassed 5 million viewers just one week after its release! It used pachinko, which was a huge trend in 1980s Japan, as its subject matter and accurately targeted the psychology of the Japanese, who love exaggeration. On top of that, the filmmaking techniques themselves were verified methods used by 2010s Korean cinema, so it was impossible for it to fail. However, honestly, even Yoon-gi didn't know it would be this successful. After all, this movie was intended as a product placement film for the Super Genesis.
"I heard movie tickets in Japan are 1,500 yen?"
At Yoon-gi’s words, Nakayama nodded. They were in the Sega president’s office. With the unexpected smash hit of The God of Pachinko, a wide grin was plastered across Nakayama’s face. He could already see the success of the upcoming Super Genesis.
"That is correct. However, in Japan right now, that’s cheaper than the price of gum."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. In Japan today, they give you 30,000 to 50,000 yen just for going to a job interview."
"Wow, that’s incredible."
Yoon-gi nodded, ruminating on vague memories from the past. 'The Japanese bubble of the 80s was so massive that people were even saying the Japanese were going to buy America, right?' It was a dream that would shatter in just five years, but at this point in time, the Japanese were indeed wealthy beyond imagination.
"Is it just interview fees? Sometimes they even send airplanes to college students to come for interviews. Even when I was young, I couldn't have imagined such a thing. No, imagine? We were busy hiding whenever a plane flew overhead."
At Nakayama’s self-deprecating wit, Yoon-gi gave a slight, bitter smile and naturally changed the subject.
"5 million viewers at 1,500 yen... that’s 7.5 billion yen in revenue so far."
"That is correct. It is truly an enormous amount of revenue."
Based on the 1985 Korean currency, that was roughly 33.3 billion won. By 2010s standards, that would be at least 100 billion won. And since it had only been a week since the release, it was certain that at least this much more revenue would come in.
However, what was even more terrifying was that this was, after all, a "promotional film." Tomorrow was finally the day the Super Genesis would go on sale. That was why Nakayama wore a triumphant smile.
"I am truly surprised by your devilish strategy, Chairman."
"There is a Korean proverb that says, 'Earn like a dog, spend like a prime minister.'"
Watching Nakayama fumble through a Korean-Japanese dictionary to understand the meaning of "prime minister," Yoon-gi looked out the window of the president’s office.
A long, long line of tents stretched out in front of the Sega headquarters. Truly, even if you scoured the history of Japanese warfare, there would have hardly been a case where this many tents were pitched. A wave of tents in colorful hues covered an entire block. It was the sight of people who had been camping out since the previous day to buy the Sega Genesis.
The person in first place had been camping out for a staggering six days, while the person in second place had missed out on the top spot by a mere seven minutes. Even when the police tried to disperse them, the crowd would not budge. If they had gathered simply to buy a game console, the police’s administrative power might have worked. But the reason they had pitched their tents was less for the Super Genesis and more to obtain the "protagonist’s bracelet."
The bracelet worn by the protagonist of The God of Pachinko. Sega had held a special promotion in front of their headquarters, which was to give the first 1,000 people in line the "opportunity to purchase" the protagonist’s bracelet. It wasn't a free gift. It was strictly just an opportunity to buy. Yet, the line of tents was of a scale that would make a rainbow jealous.
"Excuse me. Are you only going to buy the Super Genesis?"
The person camping in the 1,001st spot asked the man in the 1,000th spot with an anxious expression.
"Of course not. I’m going to buy the protagonist’s bracelet too!"
The 1,000th man, in his early 30s, wore a look of pure pleasure, as if imagining himself wearing the bracelet and spinning the lever.
"Ha, this is driving me crazy. I should have come just one minute earlier."
"You never know what the people in front might do, so just wait. You never know, right?"
The 1,000th man offered a hopeful observation, perhaps showing he wasn't entirely lacking in social skills.
"That’s why I’m waiting too. The people behind me are probably feeling the same way."
The number of bracelets distributed today was one thousand. They were pinning their hopes on the chance that the people ahead of them might not buy the bracelet.
"Ha, anyway, I envy you. I want to get a bit of luck too... I feel like if I wear the protagonist’s bracelet, something good will happen for me."
At the 1,001st person’s words, the 1,000th man nodded.
"You’re thinking the same thing as me. Seriously, I have to win this time. If I don't, the Yakuza are going to come to my house."
It was a truly chilling thing to say for someone who was laughing, but the 1,000th man seemed to have no fear of the future.
"The Yakuza are coming, and you’re not scared?"
"I can just win and pay them back, right? I’m not worried because I’ll definitely win if I have the protagonist’s bracelet."
Groundless faith is a terrifying thing. For people who had already become over-immersed in the existence of pachinko, becoming over-immersed in The God of Pachinko was also a natural progression. The same went for the protagonist’s bracelet from the movie. It was true that the protagonist in the movie hit a winning streak thanks to the bracelet. However, the bracelet was just a prop. Even so, people believed that if they wore the protagonist’s bracelet, their luck would improve. Of course, there might be "those who don't," but this line of tents was clear proof that there were many more "those who do."
Sales finally began. The people in the tents emerged, creating a spectacle that looked like a human wave. And the surroundings became incredibly noisy. However, there wasn't as much of a "major disturbance" as expected. This was because a massive number of police officers were stationed nearby to prevent accidents. Some people who were certain they wouldn't make the cut tried to cause a scene to get their hands on a bracelet, but thanks to the police’s swift intervention, such incidents were kept to a minimum.
'This is why connections are important wherever you go.'
Yoon-gi, watching from the president’s office window, glanced at Nakayama and smiled. Regardless of the reason, Sega was a long-standing company with a scale larger than a mid-sized enterprise. For a short period, it was possible to request this level of police support. Because Japan’s collusion between politics and business was even more pronounced than Korea’s.
'Good, I’m very satisfied. Since I’ve already laid my hands on Japan, I’m going to suck them dry thoroughly.'
Yoon-gi watched the sales line all day as if he couldn't get enough. And finally, a real disturbance broke out.
"No! I’m the 1,000th person, why can’t I buy one!"
The man who had believed he would be able to buy one started to make a scene when the sales of the protagonist’s bracelet cut off well before his turn.
"Ha..., it seems like there were people ahead who bought several."
"No, they said one per person!"
"If there are two people, they can buy two consoles. One of the people who pitched a tent in front probably bought as many Super Genesis consoles as there were people in their group."
The 1,001st person offered comfort while also looking somewhat pleased. It was a kind of compensation psychology—if I can't buy it, others shouldn't be able to either. The 1,001st person watched the agitated 1,000th man, soothing his own heart for not being able to buy one.
"It’s a scam! It’s all a scam! Give it here! Give me my bracelet!"
He looked like he might do something drastic. Of course, he would be subdued by the police soon enough, but the 1,000th man was first suppressed by the "real customers" behind him.
"If you’re not going to buy a Super Genesis, get out of the way! Because of you, we can’t buy ours!"
People who had come solely for the Super Genesis were standing in a normal line. Of course, it was still an incredibly long line, but to them, someone like the 1,000th man was an unnecessary nuisance. Thus, the 1,000th man, seeing the chilling glares flying toward him, immediately tucked his head into his body like a turtle.
And how much more time passed?
"Chairman! The bracelets are completely sold out, as expected! 25,000 Super Genesis units have been sold!"
"That’s incredible!"
Even Yoon-gi was so impressed that he jumped to his feet. 25,000 units isn't just a small number, and the Super Genesis wasn't being sold only here. Considering it was selling in real-time all across Japan, it was hard to even grasp what the first-day sales total would be.
"Ah, but Chairman. The police have requested that we refrain from using the protagonist’s bracelet as bait sales. They say it’s difficult to pour all their administrative power into this."
Yoon-gi showed a relaxed smile toward the perplexed Nakayama.
"Don't worry. I already anticipated all of this, and I’ve even prepared a countermeasure."