So, there I am lathering away, getting a real nice froth going when it caught my eye; the root of that which makes good Marketing so special… rooted in Jeong. Jeong: the Korean concept of a deep connection and emotional bond of empathy and affection that one can develop over time for other people, places, and things. It was all wrapped in a tiny bottle of Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel by “Then I Met You”.
You see – without pictures, packaging, and stories, Then I Met You is just a plastic tube filled with fatty acids consisting of sodium or potassium. But with its proper use, marketing can illicit emotions and bring an otherwise inanimate object to life. “By adding a little extra effort in the right places and taking the time to slow down, you can spark Jeong in your life and create lasting bonds with the people, places and things that matter most” the website states, casually adding “we also make quality skin care.” See that!? The product is an afterthought; second fiddle to the mission of sparking Jeong. Who couldn’t use a little extra Jeong in their life?
A little Jeong can go a long way too! Just check out these testimonials:
“Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm is widely worshipped for a reason.” – Allure
“My favorite part about this moisturizer definitely has to be its gel texture; it’s super cooling and lightweight, and it transforms into cloud-like water as it absorbs into the skin.” – Popsugar
“Charlotte Cho’s new double cleanser is a cult product in the making.” – Refinery29
Worshiped. Transformative. Cultish. This is breaking through the clutter at its best. Bravo. I’m now messily coating myself with The Giving Essence, Birch Milk Refining Toner and Rose’ Resurfacing Facial Mask…
“Sorry honey, I used up ALL of your Then I Met You product. But not to worry dear! I’ll order more online and while I’m at it, get us matching Then I Met You Periwinkle Pullovers!”
Our creative marketing solutions are only as limited as the variety and breadth of human interest. Here’s a similar example of such a phenomenon by way of the “The Cosmic Shock Phaser”. Fabtintoys.com, dedicated to vintage toys, defines the Raygun as a “science fiction directed energy weapon that releases energy, usually with destructive effect”. I want one.
The Cosmic Shock Phaser by Schylling, incorporates the latest in “Spinfinity Fueled Kinetic Pulse Spin-fire Photon Capacitor” zapper technology. It has an “X-ray Beam Sight” for dead accurate aim, an “Impulse Generator”, a “Sonic Transmitter Unit”, an “Atomical Recharge Magazine” and a comfort grip “Neutron Blast Initiator”. The gold and green, Flash Gordon inspired, retro-futuristic blaster is showcased in an eyepopping box with the Batman style fight-word “POW” inscribed across the top.
How impossible must it be for a 4-8 year old to resist yanking it off the shelf and demanding his mom or dad purchase it, lest he throw a galactic sized tantrum?? Once armed, young space soldiers can transport themselves to the outer reaches of the universe and battle cosmic Klorg-Zombies, menacing Worm-Monsters and Evil Aliens that threaten Earth with their Planetary Magnetar Intensity Colliders!!
That, my friend, is how copy, art and packaging can illicit emotions and transform a hunk of plastic into pure desire. You see, good marketing is a result of creativity which sparks the most personalized message of them all – one’s own imagination.
Period.
Fun fact – Batman fight-words killed 2 birds with one stone: they helped connect the 1960’s Batman TV series back to its comic book roots while at the same time covering up fight scenes that were terribly choreographed. If not for “BIIF”, “POW”, “SOCK” and “ZOK”, it would have been painfully obvious that Adam West and Bert Ward were not connecting on their punches to Supervillain lackeys by a mile!
