Chapter 185: Seo ji woo was really chosen

It’s common for singers to be commissioned for advertising music.

Many singers rise to fame through commercial jingles, and quite a few of those jingles are still remembered today.

Even if the power of traditional broadcasting and the influence of network TV ads have diminished, this was an opportunity not to be missed – for a song sung under the Vtuber Lucy’s name to spread far and wide.

“And honestly, there’s no risk here.”

Vtubers aren’t a particularly appealing target for mainstream fandom.

First, they are traditional faceless internet broadcasters.

One needs to be immune to the “Durahan” (headless avatar) style, and then also be able to accept the even more advanced real-time interactive avatar system of Vtubers.

However, many among such people don’t watch internet broadcasts much, or prefer cam streams.

Therefore, for the Vtuber market, a strategy focusing on a solid low-end rather than a high peak is more comfortable.

“Besides, the people who would dislike Ji-woo for singing it are people who wouldn’t watch Vtuber broadcasts in the first place. And our BGG Company fandom? They’d probably celebrate her singing the Z Tab CM song by buying subway ads with their own money.”

In that sense, there was absolutely no reason to refuse this CM song advertisement.

They could just accept it, earn money, and strengthen fan loyalty.

Of course, they might be attacked by some anti-Vtuber fandoms.

But those were like a temporary swarm of locusts, highly volatile and fleeting.

If they just held out for a bit, they could make a fortune. There was no reason not to do it.

Of course, the destructive actions of some of these troublemakers during this process could damage the advertiser’s image, but…

“They’re already fighting with A-Phone online all the time anyway. What’s a little Vtuber controversy on top of that?”

The CM song would be a fad for a season, and the Vtuber-related controversy would also be momentary.

Their main fanbase would soon go back to talking about new product performance, heat issues, battery life, and so on.

Then the troublemakers who came to bash Vtubers would be dumbfounded and return to their own camps…

“It’s a win-win. The advertiser gets to appeal to the younger generation using a Vtuber, and we get to strengthen our fan loyalty.”

We each get what we want, and in the end, only the troublemakers who came to stir things up will be left out in the cold.

Hayoon, feeling confident, made her decision.

Advertising deals that offer money, fame, and fan loyalty – a triple threat – are rare.

Most game advertisements use the image of Vtubers and other streamers to make the game seem approachable, but the Vtubers themselves usually only get money out of it.

“Well, it’s true that if you give them money, they’ll do pretty much anything…”

What Hayoon was saying now was that this advertising opportunity was that valuable.

Hayoon immediately called Do Jin-ho and ordered him to proceed with the contract.

Do Jin-ho, who was effectively in charge of all the company’s internal affairs, immediately accepted the order, grabbed his seal, and scheduled a meeting with the advertiser’s representative.

It took less than three days for Lucy, Seo Ji-woo’s CM song advertisement, to be confirmed.

“Hmm, ah, mmm-hmm, ah.”

When Hayoon brought up the CM song ad, Seo Ji-woo immediately went with Hayoon to a vocal coach to prepare for recording the song.

She had planned to practice a bit before recording, but the composer and lyricist provided by the advertiser were too good.

Big companies were big companies, after all.

They brought in famous composers and lyricists who created a refreshing, easy-listening summer song. There was nothing for Hayoon, the CEO, to touch.

“It reminds me of when you sang ‘Blue Sea’ back then.”

“I know, right? They must have really liked the song you sang. There’s even a part where you shout powerfully, and it feels like they really considered our RP.”

Hayoon generally told the BGG Company Vtubers to respect their RPs.

She didn’t say they had to stick to their RP, but she would tell them that having some respect for it was good for using it subtly in personal broadcasts later, so at least a minimum level of respect was necessary.

But when money was involved, it wasn’t easy.

For example, Jo A-yeong’s RP was Vivian, the Witch of the Forest, but she had once received an ad for a martial arts game.

However, Jo A-yeong herself knew nothing about martial arts.

Martial arts webtoons were popular these days, but Jo A-yeong hadn’t really read them.

So, the content she came up with was martial arts study content.

She would study martial arts for the ad, then go into the game and review the terms she had learned while enjoying the game.

This had surprisingly good reactions, and it was to be able to utilize RP in conjunction with content like this that she asked for at least minimal respect.

However, this CM song ad…

“Why is it such a perfect fit…?”

The melody line chosen by the composer.

The lyrical design selected by the lyricist.

Even the familiar song progression reminiscent of “Blue Sea.”

In many ways, it felt like the advertiser had gone out of their way to accommodate Seo Ji-woo.

They had just signed the contract without much interaction, received the sound source and guide recording produced by the advertiser, and started practicing…

The synchronization was unbelievable.

It felt like the song had been tailored from the beginning for Vtuber Lucy, Utaite Lucy, with details woven throughout the song.

“Are we… this good? Hayoon?”

“No, I don’t think we’re this good…? Why are they taking such good care of us…?”

Large question marks appeared above Seo Ji-woo and Hayoon’s heads.

It was true that Hayoon’s BGG Company had grown into one of Korea’s top Vtuber MCNs, but…

If you asked whether that growth was to the extent that Korea’s top IT company would take notice…

‘No way. Seriously.’

Hayoon could confidently say that was absolutely not the case.

But, since this had actually happened…

What were they to make of it?

“Hmm…”

“What is it, really…”

Hayoon and Seo Ji-woo tilted their heads with puzzled expressions. The vocal coach, unable to watch them any longer, stood up with a smile.

“Hey, hey, don’t think too deeply about it. You’re making tens of millions a month pretty often these days, right? That means you’re incredibly famous. Maybe someone on their staff is a fan of yours.”

“No way.”

“That’s a bit…”

However, Seo Ji-woo and Hayoon couldn’t easily agree with the vocal coach’s words.

It was possible for someone at Korea’s top IT company to watch Vtubers, but it was unlikely they would recommend their favorite Vtuber for an advertising project involving hundreds of billions of won just to satisfy their personal desires.

Lunchtime at the office of Korea’s top IT company.

While a few diligent employees who had foregone their lunch break were clattering away on their keyboards, working on financial statements or various project drafts…

“Hmm, hmm…”

One of them, this man, was humming with an AirPod in one ear.

A so-called modern generation.

He was an MZ youth, who had gotten a job right after graduating from a four-year university and had been an assistant manager for several years.

Even in a rigid corporate culture, this much leniency was allowed during lunchtime for someone with his experience.

“Delicious, delicious.”

Sitting in a corner, he marveled at the MR of the song that would be inserted as the CM song for the new Z Tab model.

His name was Bae Gyeongsik.

Not quite an elite working at a large corporation while cosplaying as an ordinary person, but…

No, maybe a junior-junior elite level young man.

Although he would unleash his inner otaku more fiercely than anyone else at year-end otaku events, in his daily life, he was an ordinary person, more ordinary than anyone.

However, there was one time when he, uncharacteristically, had done something that could have gotten him caught…

He had experience now.

As a member of the PR team, he had been ordered to shortlist candidates for who would sing the CM song for the new Z Tab model.

He was worried at first, but Bae Gyeongsik eventually chose Lucy, the Utaite and Vtuber he usually enjoyed listening to.

“I really didn’t think this would happen.”

It was a company with a high average age and, in many ways, a rigid structure.

Bae Gyeongsik himself was now approaching his mid-thirties.

When asked if there was any way to appeal to today’s teens and twenty-somethings and to bring in a plausible CM song model, he had recommended Lucy, thinking, Let these suffer.

He figured that no matter who he recommended, they would just end up choosing a famous idol anyway.

However, it didn’t turn out to be that simple.

Since it was company work, there would be performance evaluations.

So, he couldn’t just do a shoddy job. He needed sophistry and sweet talk to make Lucy, an absurd CM song model, seem plausible.

After some thought, Bae Gyeongsik presented the hypothesis of Vtubers being the latest trend connecting Alpha and Gen Z, and Gen Z and Millennials.

He suggested that a project that no other IT company had undertaken be implemented in the relatively low-sales Z Tab lineup to assess whether it could be applied to their future flagship products, the Z series smartphones.

He spouted all sorts of sophistry and sweet talk, receiving glares from other 30-something employees who ‘knew’ about Vtubers, but…

– Bravo! Excellent! Proceed immediately!

Since the head of the PR department was a 50-something man who always wanted to appear young, he latched onto the two points of ‘connecting generations’ and ‘appealing to the younger generation’ and accepted Bae Gyeongsik’s proposal.

Afterwards, Bae Gyeongsik received various reports and proceeded with this Z Tab CM song project.

Its name was “Lucy, the Icon of Summer!” – a project name that unfortunately reeked of a middle-aged man’s desperate attempt to seem young, a regrettable mismatch.

Well, at least the project name itself wouldn’t be known to the public, so it was a blessing in disguise.

“Phew…”

Bae Gyeongsik stretched and thought, Whatever happens, happens.

After all, the public wouldn’t know the project name that reeked of the department head’s pitiful PR sense.

Bae Gyeongsik himself would receive a bonus, and his favorite, Lucy, and BGG Company would receive a substantial advertising contract fee.

The department head would be satisfied in his delusion of still being young, Bae Gyeongsik would be happy with the increased chance of a bonus, and Lucy and BGG Company would be happy with the large sum of money.

“Good is good, what else.”

Bae Gyeongsik thought positively.