My Favourite TV Ads in Korea

The first year we spent in Korea we never bothered to get cable TV, just internet. This time around we figured it would be a good idea to have some form of entertainment while we at home in the evening. We managed to get internet and a digital cable box with 180+ channels for about $35/mo, great price!

One of our favourite channels is OCN which plays many different American movies with Korean subtitles. We get many other movie channels as well as CNN, BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Fox Life. We manage to catch a lot of different sitcoms / dramas that air a bit later here than at home. We watch CSI, House, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother (known as “I Love Friends in Korea”), The Mentalist and so on. A lot of the time we just download the show and play them on the TV with a USB stick because we’re not very good at reading the tv guide, or aren’t at home. I guess you could say it’s our own PVR.

One thing I do like about Korean broadcasting regulations is their TV ad rules. There are not many commercials during a show, instead they play about 10 minutes of straight commercials before a show starts and when it ends. It’s kind of nice actually, to be able to watch an entire show with minimal interruptions and then at the end have a 10 minute bathroom break before the next one starts!

Anyway, now on to what this post is really about – TV Ads. I’ll admit I can’t stand too many Korean Ads on TV. Most of my annoyance comes from not being able to understand them (obviously). Even when you think you know what the ad is about, it’s about something completely different. Another thing that gets me is the tempo of the ads, a lot are 15 second spots and they are speaking outrageously fast! Again, I will have to attribute most of my annoyances to my lack of understanding the Korean language, but I digress.

And the part you have all been waiting for… the video!

I’m not exactly sure what the commercials are about, but for whatever reason these ads are catchy and I love ‘em.

Won Cashing Version 1 (click here if you’re viewing from email)

Won Cashing Version 2 (click here if you’re viewing from email)

I welcome comments via the blog to anyone who wants to share their opinion of what the commercial is about!