Miniseries for social networks, Korean culture and food with powerful flavors are some of the big trends that are currently moving the consumer market and the marketing industry. And convenience store chain 7-Eleven has brought all three together in its new advertising campaign, “A Convenient Love,” to publicize its new Korean food products.
The company has created a new menu with Korean-inspired flavors, which it has called “Flavors of Korea,” and which is made up of a combination of new proposals and renewed versions of some classic products. From chicken wings and pizza to sandwiches and dumplings, they will all feature sweet and sour, spicy or room-based flavors like the popular gochujang.
And to encourage consumers to try them, 7-Eleven has launched, precisely, a “K-drama” style miniseries, the Korean dramas that have taken over streaming platforms globally for a few years now. Together with the Dentsu Creative agency, it has shaped seven episodes that can be seen from November 2 every Monday and Thursday until November 23 on the brand’s Instagram and TikTok channels.
The series, with one-minute episodes, tells the story of two classmates, regular consumers of 7-Eleven, whose relationship begins to evolve towards a romantic level through their meetings and nightly visits to the store to buy something to eat. As the company explains in a statement, each episode seeks to offer a dose of drama and whet the appetite of viewers so that they are encouraged to try the products. Plus, each delivery includes a limited-time discount on a featured menu item.
This is the first episode of the series:
The episodes have been filmed in vertical format and in real 7-Eleven stores, and in all of them food plays a relevant role in the decisive moments of the plot. The brand states that it has opted for a cinematographic style seeking to establish a parallel between the intensity of the drama and that of the flavors of its products.
“From the beginning, we wanted to do more than simply introduce new products. We saw an opportunity to take advantage of the cultural momentum surrounding K-dramas and create something that people would actually want to watch, with a little romance, humor, and of course, a lot of food along the way.“, he commented
Crystal Wilkins, Chief Marketing Officer at 7-Eleven, via LinkedIn. “It has been a true team effort and a very fun example of what can happen when brand, culture and social networks come together”.
The initiative is reminiscent of the one launched by McDonald’s Spain earlier this year. The burger chain launched McCrispy Korean BBQ, a burger that pays tribute to one of the star dishes of Korean cuisine, fried chicken with barbecue sauce. Together with the creative agency TBWA España and the production company Zissou, he created “Amor a primer crunch”, a digital miniseries that emulated the aesthetics and narrative of Korean dramas and whose story developed over three installments that combined plots of love and friendship and gave prominence to the crunch of the batter.
As the company points out, “Flavors of Korea” is a reflection of its commitment to innovation and the exploration of new flavors and cuisines from around the world. The goal is to give consumers new ways to enjoy their favorite products.
However, the menu will be available for a limited time in 7-Eleven stores, and in selected locations of the Speedway supermarket chain and the Stripes store chain.
