If you’ve ever found yourself weirdly craving fried chicken and beer (a.k.a. chimaek) or suddenly googling where you can buy that face powder your fave character just applied to cover up her tears, you’ve been hit by the Hallyu wave of product placement. Yes, K-Dramas have turned the art of advertising into plot points so smoothly that sometimes we don’t even realise we’re being sold a product amidst all the heart-fluttering romance and tear-jerking drama!
Source: The Swoon
K-Dramas have this unique blend of incorporating brands into their storylines so seamlessly that it almost feels like a natural part of the show. And let’s be honest, it kind of adds to the fun, right? Like, one minute you’re crying over a heartbreaking scene and the next, you’re like, “Wait, what lipstick is that?“ It’s almost like these shows have mastered the magic trick of distraction and desire all at once.
So why does product placement hit harder than regular ads? For starters, it doesn’t feel like an ad. You’re fully locked into the story, emotionally invested and then boom — your fave character casually uses a product in a way that just makes sense. No hard sell, no forced pitch. It’s marketing disguised as a moment. And that’s what makes it work.
It taps into something ads usually miss: context and connection. When you see a product in a scene that actually means something — like a late-night review snack or a quick touch-up before a big moment — it sticks. You don’t just remember the product, you remember how it felt.
Source: Screenshot from Descendants of the Sun on Netflix
Of course, K-Dramas have levels to this — from subtle to over-the-top. And when it gets too much, it can feel like you’re watching a long, dramatic ad instead of a show. But even when it toes that line, the charm of the story somehow makes it work.
Because at the end of the day, K-Dramas make everything look so aspirational. The aesthetics, the characters, the vibes — it’s all part of this world you lowkey want to live in. So when a product shows up, it feels like a key to that fantasy. It’s not “here’s what to buy,” it’s “here’s how to be part of this.” And fans? We eat it up. Even a few seconds of screen time can cause a product to sell out overnight.
Source: Screenshot from Start-Up on Netflix
So, next time you spot a blatant product placement in your favourite K-Drama, chuckle at it and maybe appreciate it for what it is — a clever (and sometimes too clever) way to fund the shows we binge-watch night after night. Whether we like it or not, these product placements keep our beloved K-Dramas thriving. And if that means I get to see more of my favourite actors on screen, then hey, I might just live with spotting a few more fancy face masks along the way (or maybe even buying them)!
Alea Viguella