Liquor Advertisers Revert to Star Formula

Kim Seolhyun (left) and Song Joong-ki

Booze advertisers are increasingly reverting to the tried and tested formula of hiring stars to pitch their products as government restrictions bite.

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Newly minted star Song Joong-ki and girl group member Kim Seolhyun are pushing rival beer brands during the Olympic marketing season this summer.

Song, who became an Asia-wide star with the hit TV series "Descendants of the Sun", has been modeling for the Hite brand of beer.

"Advertisers typically hire female models to pitch soju and male models to promote a beer brand, because soju ads target mostly men and beer ads appeal to both genders", said an advertising agency staffer. "But recently there's been no gender preference as long as the face of the brand is famous".

Alcohol ads are banned from TV from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and liquor manufacturers are not allowed to place ads on the radio, or billboards on buses and subways. That means they have to maximize their impact in the limited outlets available, so the more famous their model, the better.