Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| A scene from 'Jirisan' / Korea Times file |
By Yoon Ja-young
With production costs soaring each year, the promotion of products through TV shows, or product placement has become ever more common. However, sometimes product placement goes too far and viewers end up complaining that they cannot concentrate on the show because of the distraction.
The most recent show that is drawing criticism for this matter is tvN's mystery series "Jirisan." It premiered amid high expectations, as hallyu star Jun Ji-hyun took the lead role, backed by creative talents including star writer Kim Eun-hee ― known for hits like "Kingdom" and "Signal" ― and director Lee Eung-bok ― who directed the globally popular, "Mr. Sunshine" and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God."
Viewers were captivated by the overwhelmingly impressive scenery of Jirisan National Park, with the story evolving around forest rangers there, but some complained that they "can't figure out if it is a drama or a commercial for outdoor clothing." Popular outdoor clothing brand Nepa is one of the main sponsors of the drama.
"Even if Nepa is sponsoring, how could rangers continue wearing new alpine clothing and new fleece every time they appear? Do they just dump their clothing when get it gets dirty and get new ones?" one viewer wrote online.
 |
| A scene from 'Jirisan' / Korea Times file |
Viewers were also irked by a scene in which Seo Yi-gang, played by Jun, was offered a sandwich by her fellow ranger while at the park shelter office. The logo of the sandwich franchise Eggdrop on the wrapper was shown up close, along with the ranger enjoying it. The sandwich franchise had appeared in the first season of the drama "Hospital Playlist," but viewers didn't take issue with it back then. However, this time, they are finding it unrealistic as a franchise sandwich shop appearing in the middle of the mountain wilderness looks unnatural. Some viewers even searched for Eggdrop sandwich stores on online maps, and claimed that the nearest one from the site was located in Jinju City, South Gyeongsang Province, which is 72 kilometers away. They also took issue with a scene in which one of the rangers offers a collagen health supplement, saying that it is "good for the skin."
"Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," a global hit, also drew criticism in the last episode, as pizza and a health supplement took the center stage in scenes seemingly out of nowhere.
The drama producers are aware of the criticism, but it doesn't seem easy for them to find a solution, as production costs have been soaring while budgets have been limited. It is reported that drama producers fund around 20 percent to 30 percent of production costs through product placement.
