Q4 of 2012 belonged to Gangnam Style, but I’m not sure how long the k-pop star’s hype can last. This PSY beer commercial shows he’s already losing touch with his Korean base.
Musicians turn to commercials for supplemental income all the time, but there’s something off about this beer ad. It took me awhile to put my finger on it, but then it hit me. Everyone at this club is white. Now I’m not suggesting that there aren’t white people in Korea, but a club full of them? Seems dubious. And while Hite is sold in the US, this commercial is only being aired in Korea. Nothing like letting your fans know you’ve already forgotten about them.
The real story is that PSY’s schedule was too busy to go home to film the commercial so he shot it in New York. If movie stereotypes have taught me anything though, he easily could have gone out on the streets of Chelsea and found plenty of Korean tourists. Just look for the people carrying two cameras and making peace signs. Thankfully for him, I think he’s too big to fail right now so beer drinkers in Korea probably couldn’t care less who’s in the commercial.
Psy of Gangnam Style fame pitching for Hite Beer [BeerPulse]