Unfazed by Director Min's bewildered reaction, she continued to explain her reasoning.
"Director Min, the primary reason is the buzz factor. We didn't hire this rookie actor because it would save us money, but because he's worth it. Couldn't we connect that to Crude's image? We could even release press statements saying, 'Rookie actor signs contract for a record-breaking fee.'"
Her argument was clear and logically structured.
"What else?"
"For us, it would be best if this actor refrains from shooting minor commercials. Imagine our Crude model appearing in chicken advertisements. It wouldn't match our advertising concept, right? By raising his fee, we'd be able to discourage him from taking on small-scale ads."
"Hmm, I see what you're saying. But he only has one drama under his belt so far. And while the independent film did attract viewers, it's not considered a major production."
"That's exactly why we should hire him under these terms. By next year, we won't be able to get him at this price. If we impress him now, it could benefit us when it's time for him to renew his contract."
Director Min looked doubtful.
"It's not that I don't trust your judgment, Team Leader Park, but is he really that good of an actor? I haven't seen that drama. We were able to justify it because of his fresh image and the positive public response, but still..."
"Director Min, he's a rising star. The fact that officials from the Cannes Film Festival and director Joel Schumacher acknowledged his acting talent has created a lot of buzz. This image of a young, talented actor who stands out because of his skills aligns perfectly with our brand, Crude. Plus, we've heard from insiders that his upcoming film is very good. The film's release and Crude's launch will create a chain reaction."
"Really?"
Director Min was taken aback.
"Yes. Moreover, we have information that the character he'll play in the film closely aligns with our advertising concept. Wouldn't it amplify the effect if the ad concept and the actor's on-screen character overlapped? Some people do that on purpose, but isn't it almost like fate when it happens by accident?"
"Is that true? Where did you get that information, Team Leader Park?"
"It's from a personal source, so I can't disclose it. I'm sorry."
She deftly avoided the question, and in the end, Director Min was easily persuaded by her seemingly credible explanation.
"Team Leader Park, you have quite the foresight. Compile all these points and submit a report. I'll present it to the CEO."
"Yes, Director Min."
As she exited Director Min's office, she let out a triumphant smile and swallowed one of the colorful supplements from her pillbox.
Park Jinhee was confident in her eye for talent.
As someone who loved movies and dramas and enjoyed discovering hidden gems, she felt delighted whenever she saw the actors she had spotted rise to stardom.
She had become completely captivated by the character Bohyung in and by the actor Shin Yoomyeong. She had never been so fascinated by something before.
When she became the marketing team leader for Crude's new car launch, she selected Shin Yoomyeong as her top candidate for the advertising campaign.
Unmask.
There were no personal motives behind choosing him.
She had personally created Crude's marketing concept, and Yoomyeong was the perfect fit for it. In fact, she could confidently say that among all male actors in their twenties, he was the one most capable of carrying this campaign.
It wasn't simply because she was a fan. She would have bet her entire fortune that this actor would skyrocket within the next year or two. That was how confident she was in her judgment.
She had been especially thrilled after hearing the official Q&A at a recent fan signing event.
"Tell us about the movie <Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty>. Please promote it too! What's the concept behind your character?"
"Lee Bang-won is a character who's very good at hiding his true nature, so I focused on portraying the gap between his outward expressions and his genuine feelings. If you keep that in mind while watching, you'll enjoy it even more."
Eureka!
It aligned perfectly with Crude's advertising concept.
She could hardly believe her ears.
Images of promotional materials and potential user-generated content flashed through her mind.
That was how she had obtained that valuable piece of information, though she could never reveal that to the company.
[Hyunseong Motors Crude 2006 CF Proposal: Unmask]
She revisited the proposal and the rough storyboard she had written.
Although the advertising agency handled the detailed concepts and execution, the campaign's core concept and main ideas were entirely hers.
The campaign reflected her—or rather, an office worker's—fantasy.
The fantasy of an ordinary office worker who had to keep working to survive unless they had been born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
While there were moments of fulfillment and meaning in work, they occupied only a small portion of one's working hours. Most of the time, people were overwhelmed by chronic fatigue and stress.
The younger employees might dream of achieving their life goals through work, but there were also the fantasies of salarymen who had already worn themselves down and begun separating work from life.
To complete every task quickly and accurately during office hours.
Then, after clocking out, to enjoy a completely different life—one unimaginable in the workplace.
That moment when they clocked out and shed their office-worker persona.
Unmask.
It's perfect!
No matter how much she thought about it, Shin Yoomyeong was the perfect candidate.
"Good day."
"Ah? Hello."
At Hyunseong Motors headquarters.
Yoomyeong, who had come for a meeting regarding the Crude advertising contract, was surprised by a familiar face but quickly closed his mouth.
Park Jinhee had given him a meaningful glance and subtly shaken her head.
"Hello. I'm Min Ho Sang, Marketing Director at Hyunseong Motors."
"I'm Park Jinhee, Team Leader of Marketing Team 2."
"I'm Moon Yu-seok, Director of Good Entertainment."
"Hello, I'm Shin Yoomyeong."
The four people involved sat across from one another.
"Thank you for coming."
"It's our pleasure. Thank you for having us."
"It's good to meet you, Mr. Shin Yoomyeong. I really enjoyed the drama. My daughter is a fan, so would you mind giving me an autograph before you leave? Haha."
Park Jinhee stifled a snicker at the director's words.
Director Min had never seen , and his daughter had been studying abroad for the past two years.
Of course, one became accustomed to this sort of superficial flattery in the business world.
"We were impressed by the generous contract terms you offered, Director Min. Thank you for valuing our actor so highly."
"It's only fair. Mr. Shin Yoomyeong is worth even more than that. The same goes for our new car, Crude."
"I hope we can work together for a long time."
After that came the practical negotiations.
A one-year exclusive contract, three television commercials, three recording sessions, and separate discussions regarding print shoots.
"Yes, I understand. Ah, yes—and as mentioned earlier, Mr. Shin Yoomyeong's contract is actually under Bad Entertainment, which I represent due to certain circumstances. Please make sure to keep this confidential."
"We understand. Other than those directly involved in the approval process, our employees believe Mr. Shin Yoomyeong is with Good Entertainment, so there's no need to worry."
"Thank you."
"Also, we'd like to present Mr. Shin Yoomyeong with one of our Crude vehicles."
"That's on the condition that he drives it to official events, correct?"
"Haha. Yes. Well, I'm sure you understand."
"Of course. Don't worry."
As the discussion neared its end, Director Min discreetly glanced at Yu-seok and asked,
"By the way, do you have plans for any other advertisements besides ours?"
"Not at the moment."
"Then, by any chance, are you planning to shoot several commercials during the second half of this year?"
"Since we're on an exclusive contract with Hyunseong, we won't be doing advertisements for companies in the same industry."
Director Min let out a slight groan.
It was the answer he had expected.
He had heard that the young CEO was exceptionally capable, and he was clearly no pushover.
Even though he understood the intent behind Director Min's question, he brushed it aside with an obvious statement that effectively meant: It's none of your business.
In the advertising industry, advertisers usually held the upper hand over celebrities.
Especially in automobile and cosmetics advertising. The advertisers were almost always the dominant party because there was never a shortage of celebrities to choose from.
But occasionally, when an advertiser thought, We absolutely need this actor, and the actor thought, I don't necessarily need this advertisement, the balance of power could shift.
Like right now.
Breaking the slightly awkward atmosphere, Yu-seok spoke.
"By the way, you've chosen a great concept. Our actor is very selective about his projects, so we initially didn't want to push him into commercials. But the Crude advertisement is more like a short acting performance than a simple commercial, so after reading the proposal, our actor said he really wanted to do it. Haha."
At that remark, Jinhee's lips twitched slightly, and Director Min clicked his tongue.
The man was an expert at playing cat and mouse.
He was clearly telling them not to interfere unnecessarily while also soothing the concern that had been bothering them.
He implied that they hadn't originally planned to do commercials, but they were doing this one because the actor wanted to.
In other words, he was saying: We won't accept just any advertisement, so don't worry.
Director Min stared intently at the young actor sitting beside him.
As an actor, he was certainly eye-catching. However, if one looked closely, he wasn't exceptionally handsome.
Quiet by nature, he calmly listened to the ongoing conversation.
Yet Team Leader Park, whose judgment was highly regarded, spoke of this actor with the highest praise. Even Director Min, a veteran in the industry, felt somewhat pressured by the talented representative who defended him so fiercely.
Just what kind of acting had he done?
I should watch his movie.
Director Min found himself thinking that out of curiosity.
Yoomyeong was so puzzled by this that he asked Yu-seok about it.
"Why was everything prepared so quickly?"
"When money's involved, anything is possible. Looking at how tight the schedule was, it seems they would've gone with Plan B if you hadn't been available. Considering they waited until the last minute, they must've really wanted you."
After signing the contract, Team Leader Park discussed the details with Yu-seok and mentioned that it would be ideal if filming could be completed by mid-October because of Crude's launch schedule.
Yu-seok said there was no need to strictly follow their timeline and offered to postpone it. However, Yoomyeong opposed the delay and seemed eager to help Park Jinhee, who apparently belonged to his fan club.
"I'm really fine with it. I'd rather start filming sooner than later."
"But you only wrapped up the movie a month ago..."
"I've fully recovered! Besides, the concept of the advertisement is Unmask. It might actually be better to shoot it while I'm still familiar with the feeling of unveiling a character. The characters are different, but the acting approach is similar."
"Then take a break after this. Going straight from a film shoot to a fan signing /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ event and then another commercial shoot will make people think I'm a terrible employer."
"Mr. Actor, please keep my identity here a secret."
"You're Emperor Bohyung, right?"
"You remember my username! Yes, that's right, but it's a secret here."
"Yes, I can tell that much. By the way, Team Leader, you're really cool. It's an honor to have a fan like you."
"Please don't ever say that in front of the others. I won't be able to keep a straight face."
Team Leader Park's face turned red, and she fanned herself.
"And regarding this casting, there were absolutely no personal feelings involved. I objectively evaluated your abilities and selected you, so please deliver a great performance."
"I'll do my best."
Today's shoot was indoors. The outdoor scenes would be filmed three days later.
The location she led him to was a meticulously prepared office set.
The commercial director, along with the agency's PD and CD, were discussing something and welcomed them as they arrived.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Gook-cheol. I loved your movie. Did you know Director Ki and I were college classmates?"
"Oh, really? I'll have to mention it to him."
"I already did. He joked that I'd make easy money this time since all I'd have to do was turn the camera on and off while you acted. Haha."
The friendly director, who seemed to have an easygoing personality, exchanged warm greetings with Yoomyeong.
Yoomyeong had already met the PD and CD before, so they simply exchanged casual greetings.
After a brief meeting, he went to get ready.
Yoomyeong changed into a suit and put on glasses.
Today, he was going to be an ordinary office worker.
