The Korean pop singer, Psy, has definitely taken the world over through his viral Opam Gagnam Style. After more than 10 years being an idol in Koreanow a viral video hanging from You Tube has put him and his country, South Korea, on the spot.
Psy’s Gagnam Style has been awarded recently the MTV EMA award to the Best Video. Thanks to what is probably one of the most popular virals ever in the history of pop music, Psy was presented with the prize on 11th November at the EMA MTV awards gala, which was held in Frankfurt. Psy has even hired a manager from the USA, who is the same of Justin Bieber.
Should the US teen phenomenon start to take care?. Perhaps, because Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style is not the outcome of a marketing strategy, designed to appeal the fans, but on the contrary, one of those spontaneous popular phenomena, now serving one of the best and more discrete country brand campaigns and strategies. I mean Hallyu or The Korean Wave.
The official recognition comes after Gagnam Style has become a worldwide phenomenon, like La Macarena by Los del Río and several other pop sensations.
But none of the mentioned, despite world acclaimed, has still got the JIB JAB status. Precisely this JIB JAB status is, as well as the viral and flash mob popular support, what have made of Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style one of the key pillars of Hallyu and of Psy’s own marketing mix.
The creators of Elf greeting card have included the Opam Gagnam Style viral which can get the personal touch of each of the e-card service users. JIB JAB tool allows anyone put his/her own face instead of Psy’s on the clip becoming the star of the Opam Gagnam Style video clip.
In my view the e-card could well keep on feeding the viral success of the video in social networks for years, as the tool lets the user sharing the content by mail and the download of the personalized video, to hang and share it in You Tube.
There are also lot’s of You Tube parody virals of Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style hanged by more or less famous users of this social network (to watch some of the best parodies click on the links included in the “Related external links” section below). Psy’s original video itself has already hit the 835691149 views. There’s even an offical cartoon version of the viral that has earned not less success than the first clip.
Comediants all over the world, even in Spain, are imitating the Opam Gagnam Style and profiting from its success.
Such huge mass media phenomenon is being sponsored by the Hallyu country brand strategy of the Korean Government, both inside and outside the country.
ROK Government is supporting as well as profiting from the viral hit. There is a whole promotion program overseas, through flashmobs, for example, but also all over Korea, including dance master classes to learn the Gagnam Style, flashmobs and performances targetting Korean youngsters in special and the whole Korean population in general.
I was invited to Korea last November and could see and try first hand how the program works. Further more, I had the opportunity to take a master class on how to dance gagnam Style with the dancer who plays the female central part in Psy’s video.
As well as parodies there are also many spontaneous flash mobs hanging from You Tube, the great majority of them scoring more than a good number of views.
I must say that Gagnam Style has become much more than a popular viral and pop hit, it has turned into a marketing weapon, able to generate billions and not only of Wons.
Psy and his licencees will surely profit fom the golden mine through all kinds of merchandising (jingles, tones and polytones for cell phones, greeting cards, etc.). And sponsoring Psy’s success the Korea country brand is making the world dance to its own Gagnam Style, at least for the moment.
Image over the headline.- The korean singer Psy performs ‘Gangnam Style’ at the MTV EMA’s 2012 at Festhalle Frankfurt on November 11th, 2012 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage). -detail of the original image-
Related Eastwind Marketing links:
ROK Government to invest $295.3 million promoting hallyu in 2013
Related Eastwind links:
Spanish restaurants, tapas and food products, increasingly popular in Korea
Related external links:
Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style (Elder brother, Gagnam Style) viral -official cut-
Parodies of the original Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style video:
Anoying Orange parody of Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style video
Minecraft parody of Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style video
Sponge Bob parody of Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style video
Chef Gordon Ramsay Psy’s Opam Gagnam Style video
Ganga Style – Don Cheto (Video Oficial)
PSY – Zombie Style – Internautismo Crónico
ANGRY BIRDS dance GANGNAM STYLE
PSY – GANGNAM STYLE (MattyBRaps Cover feat. Cimorelli)
