Korean Job Discussion Forums

[simone]

First off, if you have no idea or opinion about the Korea, Sparkling slogan, or haven't seen it yet, it's not necessary to add your opinion to this topic. Thanks for reading!

I'm trying to detail exactly why the new "Korea, Sparkling" slogan just isn't right. I've been putting together my own brainstorm of associations as to why it's wrong, but any helpful opinions will be added...

1. Korea, Sparkling is gramatically unusual. Tourism Marketers do not use: "Thailand, Amazing", or "India, Incredible". The word order is a bit "Konglishy".

2. The graphic with the letters in "sparkling" slighly askew is confusing.
Is it to bring attention to "spar", (fight?) Is it to indicate some fundamental instability? Clearly, not, but this is how they could be interpreted.

3. As a slogan itself:

Sparkling can mean shining with brilliant points of light like stars; "sparkling snow"; "sparkling eyes", and can be associated with cleanliness, "sparkling clean", but the predominant (#1) association with sparkling is with beverages: Sparkling wine (aka "Champagne", sparkling water ("Perrier") and other bubbly beverages. Any drink with gas bubbles can be called sparkling. (Korea, Gassy?)

Korea = Fizzy drinks? Burping?

Googlism for: sparkling (first 10 or so listed)

sparkling is ideal for consumption with cheese
sparkling is made in three different ways
sparkling is a genuine methode champenoise made from pinot blanc grapes and fermented and aged in the bottle for two full
sparkling is perfect for starting off any evening or event
sparkling is also available; creamy
sparkling is just about the only wine that will befriend limburger
sparkling is light


So, seriously folks, any other negative or "off" associations with Korea, Sparkling that I've missed? Rants?

Alternately, do any of you like it?

[cubanlord]

Hello Simone,

If I were you, I'd go in there with a detailed explanation of why "Korea Sparkling" makes no sense syntactically or semantically. Use sources to increase your credibility. Show them how unintelligible signs, slogans, and advertisements cost Koreans millions (and potentially billions) of dollars a year in Revenue because of their poor handling of the properties of English grammar. Global companies see the instability, indecisiveness, and ignorance of this country and refuse to make Korea their global headquarters for this region (among other reasons like tight tariffs, laws against foreign business, etc.). The evidence in support of this argument is overwhelming. One only needs to look at Hong Kong, which houses over 1,100 global companies, and Singapore, which houses over 450 global offices, to see that Korea just isn't "foreigner friendly". This can begin to change with their handling of the English language.

Also, I would suggest they tell you (in case you don't know) what their primary target audience is (or are if more than one market). Then, find what appeals to that market and exploit it.

This is a lot of work and they may not care about your "reasons" why "English Sparkling" will hurt their tourism. Moreover, it may not be something that you will want to research further (are they even paying you for this "consultation"?) Remember, most Korean businesses rush out to get English names, slogans, etc. not because they care whether or not it is correct, but because it looks stylish. To the average Korean walking around, it sounds right because it is written using the grammar rules of the Korean language and, well, they just don't know what it means and automatically associate Romanized letters with luxury and sophistication.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[simone]

[cubanlord]

[Dev]

I understand that it was some foreigner that came up with this catch phrase. It wasn't a Korean.

It doesn't make any sense. I associate the word "sparkling" with cleanliness, a kind of wine, and jewels.

Korea is clean, but not THAT clean. And trying to call yourself "the jewel of the orient" would also sound egotistical and unconvincing.

This word fails to give any information about the most important asset of Korea, its people.

I think whoever was responsible for deciding the catch phrase for Korea, should have ran a contest and borrowed the brains of thousands of people who probably have better ideas.

They wasted their money on this instead.

Maybe they were too "bhali, bhali".

[Qinella]

They should just call it Krazy Korea.


Simone I think most of us here are aware of the logo/slogan because it was posted on this forum a few weeks back. The reasons you listed for it being strange are good and sufficient.

[simone]

[laogaiguk]

[Alyallen]

The word sparkling when in relation to a place usually involves water of some kind. Jeju, Sparkling....while somewhat inept would make slightly more sense.

I mean what are they trying to appeal to? To people who are into hiking, people into ancient architecture....I mean the whole point in a slogan is to get people here for some specific reason and Korea, Sparkling isn't going to cut it.

I've told people about the new slogan and they just start laughing because there is nothing SPARKLING about Korea.

They'd have better luck with "Memorable Korea" because seriously people who come here always remember Korea whether they want or not

[dogbert]

[spliff]

Very funny, another K-catch phrase that couldn't be farther from the truth w/ K-Land in mind.

[simone]

So I found his website and sent a message politely asking him why SPAR is askew..

I hope I get an answer...


Still can't get over the new association in my head: Korea, gassy.

[stumptown]

The one I hate, because I have to see it everyday is G&G Paju. Good and great. I mean the Korean phrase is Paju: Clean and Healthy, why couldn't someone have just used that.

Simone: You should also let them know that it's just not a phrase that will increase tourism, but promoting a change in Korean people's attitudes in dealing with foreigners. I mean, knowing how a simple TV program can brainwash the majority of the population, all they would have to do is run one popular program discussing the possibility of future tourism and dealing with foreigners.

[Richard Krainium]

Simone-

Thanks for hearing us out. My first impression of Korea Sparkling? Shockingly stupid! Just like "Hi Seoul!" WTF! KTO needs to get a little more creative and quit copying India, Thailand, ect... with the 2 word mottos. I like OZ's "Where the bloody hell are you?", or something like that!

I'm not gonna suggest anything, just don't use "Korea Sparkling"!

[RACETRAITOR]

Give me a couple beers and I'd come up with something better than Korea, Sparkling. My main concern about it, above the fact it's a syntactical train wreck, is that it doesn't say anything about Korea. Sparkling? What? What's supposed to be sparkling here? Come up with a word that actually describes Korea and creates an image even remotely close to what we all have in our heads.

Whoever came up with it should never be hired again.