These days, there are conversations everywhere that if you don’t know the main characters 'Ae-soon (IU)' and 'Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum)' from the Netflix original drama 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' you can't join the discussion. Short-form videos featuring scenes from the drama are also gaining popularity. The global response has also been quite positive. According to Netflix's official count, 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' was ranked as the most viewed content among non-English TV shows for the week starting March 17.
On the 3rd, the distribution industry reported that there are domestic liquor companies excited about the global success of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines.' Various liquors are featured as props in the drama to reflect contemporary trends. 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' does not have product placement for Netflix's original series. From the perspective of liquor companies, it is as if they gain promotional benefits without having to pay for advertising.
The first liquor to be featured is the so-called 'Daiya soju (Diamond soju)' appearing in a scene set in Busan in 1968. On the day Ae-soon and Gwan-sik eloped in love, the innkeeper served the soju, saying, 'Isn't Busan nice?' Daiya soju is recognized as the oldest diluted soju in the region by the Busan city government. It is produced by Daesun Distilling, a liquor company based in Busan. Four years ago, they actively marketed the brand by featuring actress Han Ye-seul.
In the scene set in 1993, where families are seated, chatting, and drinking chicken and beer, Geumbokju soju appears. Geumbokju is a local company. Founded in 1957 in Daegu, it was introduced by Samsan Agricultural Products starting from 1963. After Geumbokju gained popularity, Samsan Agricultural Products changed its company name to Geumbokju in 1975.
A local liquor industry representative said, 'As the number of people looking for local soju has decreased due to a sense of local patriotism, the market share of 'Chuhum' and 'Charmisool' has reached 80%, making the popularity of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' even more welcome.'
This drama does not only feature local soju. In the 14th episode, beer brands Hite and OB Lager are introduced together, set during the period of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis.
In a scene where Eun-myeong, the second son of Oh Ae-soon and Yang Gwan-sik, runs around selling rice cakes at night, his wife, Boo Hyeon-sook, becomes upset and looks for beer, leading to the appearance of OB Lager. In the scene where the eldest daughter, Geum-myeong, decides to start a business, Hite beer makes an appearance. The beer is focused on during a scene where Geum-myeong, who was laid off from her stable job due to the IMF, lists her future goals, including changing jobs and buying a kimchi refrigerator, ultimately deciding to start her own business.
The appearance of OB Lager and Hite beer in the same episode is analyzed by the liquor industry as a reflection of the atmosphere at the time. The currency crisis affected the beer market, transforming the three-power structure (OB Beer, Hite Beer, and Jinro Coors Beer) into a two-power structure dominated by OB Beer and Hite Beer. As OB Beer absorbed Jinro Coors Beer, both OB Beer and Hite Beer began a fierce competition for market share.
The distribution industry is hoping that 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' will have a similar effect to the drama 'My Love from the Star.' When that drama gained popularity in the Chinese-speaking world, the chicken and beer (chimaek) featured in the drama became popular, which enabled Korean-style chicken franchises to rapidly expand into overseas markets.
Can our soju and beer successfully settle in overseas markets outside the Korean expat-centered market? Attention is focused on whether another popular product like Samyang Foods' spicy chicken noodle will emerge.