Icheon City official SNS
As the film ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ (directed by Jang Hang-jun) has surpassed a cumulative 12.2 million moviegoers and is writing a record-breaking box-office run, local governments are making waves with clever ‘piggyback’ marketing to ride the craze.
On the 12th, Icheon City posted on its official social media the bold phrase “Icheon (2000) million admissions, cheered on by Icheon City.” Icheon is neither the setting of the film nor the home base of any main character.
Director Jang Hang-jun. Courtesy of Showbox
However, Icheon City picked up on a subtle tie between director Jang Hang-jun and Icheon rice mentioned on a past variety show, unveiling the tagline “Icheon rice chosen by kings and by a ten-million director.” It deftly linked the ‘king’ in the film’s title with the local specialty ‘Royal Seal Icheon Rice’. Though the connection may be a bit forced, its trademark boldness and wit turned it into a winning move that drew laughs.
The first place to reap the film’s spillover effect is Yeongwol County in Gangwon Province, the story’s primary setting. Cheongnyeongpo, where King Danjong was exiled, is thronged day after day with visitors eager to experience the film’s poignant narrative firsthand.
Amid this regional boost, Cheonan in South Chungcheong kicked off a publicity push via its official social media, informing the public that the tomb of Han Myeong-hoe, a key figure in the film, is located in Cheonan. The city released a promo video with a bit of B-grade sensibility, saying things like “We have no festival and not much else, but if you get bored on a northbound trip, stop by.” It humorously leveraged its link to the historical figure.
Online users are reacting enthusiastically to these quick-witted promotional moves by local governments. Comments included: ”Cheonan at least has Han Myeong-hoe’s tomb; Icheon truly has no connection, which makes it even funnier“ ”As expected, promotion is all about momentum“ ”While we’re at it, let’s really go for Icheon (2000) million“.
As the film ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ moves beyond 12.2 million admissions toward the unprecedented milestone of ‘twenty million’, attention is focused on how far its box-office run will go.
