Concept Brief: Rhythm and Confidence in "123"
- The core concept of the commercial is to intuitively convey Cuchen's usability (speed, simplicity, and accuracy) through the simple rhythm of "123." The countdown creates a "preparation-focus-completion" flow, much like Yuna Kim's figure skating routine, encapsulating brand trust in just 30 seconds.
- During preliminary meetings, the production team focused on the keyword "rhythm over words." Even with a low dialogue density, the message was clearly conveyed through facial expressions, gestures, and sound. A key challenge was to reinforce the image of "precision" through Yuna Kim's signature clean movement and eye contact.
Pre-production: Movement Choreography and Sound Cue Design
- During the rehearsal phase, the product operation flow was designed like a short choreography. The timing of camera movements (dori, tracking) and hand gestures was synchronized to the "one-two-three" beat of the countdown, ensuring smooth transitions between cuts.
The sound team finely sampled everyday sounds like "click," "steam," and "ttut" and created Foley layers tailored to the numerical counts. In practice, post-production layered sound effects are often used more often than on-site recordings. This commercial also relied heavily on post-production to capture the texture of the clicks and steam pressure.
Styling & Mise-en-scène: Understated Premium
The costumes and space were organized in an achromatic palette centered on white, metallic, and warm gray. To ensure that Yuna Kim's clean and refined image aligned with the product's "precision, cleanliness, and trustworthiness," patterns were excluded and a silhouette with sharp outlines was chosen.
The kitchen set was made of high-gloss materials with numerous reflective surfaces, but lighting reflections were repeatedly adjusted to avoid excessive flare. Fingerprints and dust on the product's front panel are particularly noticeable in UHD, so cleaning staff immediately checked them after each take.
Filming Site 1: Mastering the "One-Two-Three" Timing
- The most retakes occurred during the moment a finger presses a button and the eye-to-eye cut. The fingertip had to touch the button for the "two" countdown, and the LED had to respond for the "three" countdown. Coordinating the camera's frame in and out timing with the actor's fingertips proved challenging.
- To solve this, the director used a metronome app next to the monitor to keep the tempo and repeat the chant. Ultimately, the countdown became ingrained in her body, like music, significantly improving the consistency of the takes.
Filming Site 2: The Power of Micro-Expressions
- Kim Yuna had minimal dialogue, but she had to convey confidence and satisfaction through micro-expressions. For each take, the angle of her smile was adjusted by 5% and pupil movement was reduced to enhance her connection with the camera. Even breathing tempo was monitored during close-ups, ensuring a natural emotional connection between cuts.
In one episode, the director gave a cue: "This time, focus before the match. The next cut is the moment when the actor finishes his performance and makes eye contact with the audience." This led to a clear separation of facial expressions and an immediate OK take.
Product Reality Shooting: Balancing "Lifelike Sensitivity" and "Accurate Sensitivity"
- The realistic steam, steam condensation, and moisture in the ingredients were realistically created on-site. However, excessive steam exposure to the camera compromised the contrast, so the direction and amount were finely adjusted using small fans and diffusers.
- Button responses, display numbers, and operation sounds were filmed with post-production in mind. However, marking tape was used as a guideline to ensure the actors' hand positions and shadows did not obscure the compositing points.
Lighting and Lenses: A Choice for Detail
- To bring out the metallic texture of the product's surface while preventing skin tones from becoming cold, a softbox key light was used, and a thin strip light with only a highlight line was used as a rim light.
- 50mm and 85mm lenses were used primarily to minimize distortion while enhancing the three-dimensionality of product and face close-ups. A macro lens was used for button close-ups to capture the tactile sensation of fingertips and the moment of a click.
Sound Design: "Audible Accuracy"
- The numerical count was positioned in the lower midrange without exaggeration to provide a sense of stability, while the button clicks were designed to evoke precision by utilizing the high frequencies. The steam sound had a reduced sustain to avoid overheating, and a short attack created a clean ending.
- The background music, with warm synth pads over a minimal beat, strikes a balance between user-friendliness and premium feel. The insertion of short silent sections emphasized the rhythmic contrast.
Post-Editing: 30 Seconds of Compression Aesthetics
- Cut lengths were adjusted to 6-10 frame increments to ensure consistent rhythm. The titles and supers were designed to unify the visual tone with the product UI, creating a unified system.
- Color grading was based on neutral white, and secondary correction was applied for each zone to prevent the color temperatures of food, human skin, and metal from interfering with each other. This resulted in a tone that simultaneously exudes both "cleanliness" and "warmth."
Brand Message Touchpoint: Transmission of Trust
- Yuna Kim's image of "accuracy, class, and consistency" naturally translates to the kitchen appliances' "precision, hygiene, and stability." The numerical language of "123" symbolizes simplicity and lowers the barrier to entry for the product category.
- Short countdowns also have a high memory retention rate, making them ideal for repeated use both online and offline, like a jingle.
On-site Staff Episode: A Small Obsession with Creating Detail
- To remove fine dust from the product's glossy surface, staff members alternately used brushes, microfiber cloths, and air blowers, conducting "dust checks" more than 20 times per take.
- There was a scene where the ice and hot water ratio was adjusted in decimals to maintain a consistent droplet size on the cup, and the frequency settings had to be adjusted several times to match the LED blinking to the frame rate.
Kim Yuna's Professionalism: The Moment of Perfecting a Cut
- The most memorable moment was the "eyes of confidence" cut. Simultaneously with the director's "Three!" cue, a fixed gaze, a smile, and a subtle nod were all simultaneously captured, followed by immediate applause and an OK sign on the on-site monitor. This cut completed the emotional closing of the commercial.
Marketing Implications: Combining Rhythmic Messages with Icons
- Numerical rhythmic messages are short and repeatable creative assets. Expanding them into the "123 Challenge" in short-form social media or linking them to button and sound feedback in retail displays creates a consistent experience.
- The more precisely you map the symbolism of a model (accuracy and quality) to the moment of product use, the more you can build an image of "technology trust" that goes beyond simple recognition.
Conclusion
- This 30-second commercial is a prime example of both premium and intimacy, conveying a sense of precision without being overly wordy. The rhythm of "123," Kim Yuna's subtle expressions, and the subtle sounds of everyday life all work together to create a short but memorable commercial.