Gmarket said on the 11th that it is seeing an increase in transaction amount through highly buzzworthy ad campaigns. In particular, after rolling out the campaigns, the transaction amount among people in their teens and 20s doubled, indicating a positive impact on purchases by younger customers.
Since September last year, Gmarket has been unveiling a new ad campaign every month with CHAI communication, the ad production company. It produced a total of 36 videos so far, and over five months (September 2023 to January 2024) recorded about 210 million cumulative YouTube views.
In particular, the "Seollal Big Sale" ad featuring H.O.T. in the 10th series surpassed 53 million cumulative YouTube views in just two weeks after the video was released. Marking the 30th anniversary of H.O.T.'s debut, this Seollal Big Sale ad drew strong interest even before release as a complete-group ad with all five members appearing together for the first time in 25 years. The 15-second teaser video (including Shorts) released ahead of the main video proved its buzz, racking up a total of 13 million views.
Buoyed by the ad's popularity, purchasing patterns by generation are also changing. From on the 28th of last month, when the H.O.T. ad began, to on the 6th of this month, the transaction amount among the core 30s–40s customer segment jumped 80% from a year earlier. As the return of a first-generation idol is being embraced by people in their teens and 20s as new cultural content, the transaction amount for customers in their teens and 20s during the same period also doubled (up 101%) year over year.
The ad campaign is also contributing to actual sales growth. By selling products featured in the ads—premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, soy sauce marinated crab, and computers—at Seollal Big Sale special prices, related category transaction amounts increased by nearly fourfold. Comparing category transaction amounts from on the 28th of last month to on the 6th of this month with the same period a year earlier, ▲ fresh food (199%) ▲ processed food (279%) ▲ digital home appliances (291%) ▲ fashion (54%) and others showed an overall upward trend.
A Gmarket official said, "A well-made ad can draw cross-generational resonance and proves the combined effect of content and commerce," adding, "It is creating a virtuous cycle that not only enhances brand image but also leads to actual purchases."