Disparities Between Korean and American Advertising

 


       Korean and American advertising have many disparities, both in how they are presented and the content. Korean advertising on television and during television programs are very different from those shown on American television. Korean ads tend to be more family oriented, with a need for affiliation being the main focus as well as bargaining and putting a time restraint. Magic ingredients are also very prominent, with ads for herbal medicinal cures being extremely common. Infomercials are also common. There will frequently be a spokesperson advertising a certain product, from food to clothing to furniture, and there will be a number at the bottom and consistent urges to call the number to get the product before it runs out. Ads are very bright and happy and rarely use wit or humor. Ads are very straight to the point and emphasize familial connection. There is also an emphasis on music and the usage of celebrities in ads. Celebrities do a variety of things, but the ads with them in it are usually the more popular and talked about ads. Most items are backed up by foreign doctors, especially health-related products, and as long as they're speaking English the product seems more credible, which is a usage of an appeal to faulty authority. Major products advertised other than health products are massage chairs, coffee, clothing, and food that is hard to make at home, or food that can be ordered.
     In television in Korea, there is a focus on creative ways to put product placement in shows that people watch. For example, the characters in a Korean drama will only drink one brand of water, only meet at one or two food stores, have a job at only one restaurant, and only drive one brand of car. The product placement can get ridiculous at times, with frequent unnecessary product placement being commonplace. It has become sort of a running joke, with entertainment programs purposely commenting on low funds and then taking swigs out of a sponsored water company (in an effort to reference the fact that the water is sponsored). Dramas often ridiculously incorporate products, with a kiss scene incorporating the hands-free car, or a certain brand of humidifier or a stuffed animal that is a mascot of a certain company. There's also a very big culture of drinking in Korea, which spills over into television programs and certain brands of soju (a korean rice alcohol) are consumed by the characters. Korean ads obviously capitalize upon product placement within their television programs as well as advertising itself.
     American television is similar in some areas, but also very different. American ads are louder and grab one's attention more than Korean ads that are light and focus on health and well being and family, where American ads focus more on grabbing the audiences' attention, dominating others, and autonomy. American ads are more loud and fast-paced, and often promote products that could actually cause a detriment to one's health, such as fast food. American ads also use time restraints and bargaining, but infomercials and spokespeople for any and all products are not as common as they are in Korean advertising. Though there is a significant usage of product placement in American television also, it is not as significant as Korean television utilizes it. The product placement in Korean television has become a part of the culture of the programs themselves, while it isn't as significant as that in American television.
    Obviously, there are many disparities between Korean and American advertisements, more than the ones I mentioned. This is due to the differences in Korean and American cultures, which leads to the difference in the audiences' taste and thus the difference in advertising techniques. It is truly interesting to observe these inherent contrasts, both small and big.