After the success of the campaign "Encounter Life-Changing Works," which introduced various genres of web novel content, NAVER Series found itself in need of a follow-up campaign. While continuing the concept of the same campaign, the challenge was to prominently showcase exclusive web novels, boosting awareness and inflow rates for NAVER Series as a content platform, a challenger in the market. The goal was to create an image of a premium content platform with high-quality works, surpassing competitors.
Web novels, with distinct fantasy elements like “Reincarnated," “Possessed," and “Munchkin," were perceived as content with relatively lower artistic value compared to conventional novels. This perception limited the user base for content consumption.
To explosively increase awareness and inflow rates for NAVER Series, it was crucial to create a campaign that would penetrate both non-readers of web novels and readers who preferred competitors.
For non-readers, the focus was on conveying the quality of works equivalent to movies or novels, making them appear as content worth trying. For readers, the campaign aimed to stimulate curiosity by emphasizing the intrinsic value of web novels – the power of imagination – through storytelling.
1 Selection of fresh works, dialogue, messages, and models
Firstly, carefully selecting works with a unique worldview that provides a fresh catharsis to the target audience. Constructing dialogue and messages that can convey the essence of the work within a short 30-second timeframe. Additionally, choosing models that can enhance the immersion of the works. While maintaining this basic structure, brainstorming new points can capture the audience's interest and stimulate imagination for each campaign.
2 Maintaining the existing structure but adding points to stimulate the imagination
The 2020 campaign depicted characters from the works through the acting of renowned actors, Seo Yea-ji and Ju Ji-hoon. The storytelling method attempted to switch between the first-person perspective of the protagonist and the third-person observer perspective of a supporting character, creating a unique narrative.
In the 2021 campaign, a different storytelling approach was adopted through dialogues in the style of "Tiki-Taka“ (banter) between the director Jang Hang-jun and writer Kim Eun-hee, a well-known content creator couple in South Korea. The selection of the director and writer as unique models aimed not only to maximize imagination and curiosity about the works but also to enhance trust in the artistic value.
3 Direct storytelling and viral content
In the 2023 campaign, a more direct storytelling method was employed through actress Suzy in "I'm the Queen in This Life" using a somewhat straightforward and B-rated(?) title. Furthermore, a new attempt was made to expose the title of the work in subtitles of news program advertisements, aiming to grab the audience's attention. Viral activities were also attempted, such as creating an impression that it was news blooper through exposure in news broadcast-style subtitles.
The campaign achieved not only substantial user inflow but also remarkable results that shook the web novel market. Immediately after the campaign execution, work sales increased by almost 3,000%, and work search volume rose approximately 30 times.
Works featured in the campaign, such as "Men of the Harem," "Marry My Husband," and "I'm the Queen in This Life," not only received recognition for their artistic value and entertainment but were also recommended as best-selling web novels and even adapted into webtoons, consistently gaining popularity.
Furthermore, after the campaign, there was a flood of spontaneous parodies and secondary creative works on social media. The campaigns became so loved by consumers that each new campaign would reignite interest in the previous life-changing works campaign.
