Short-form drama platform 'Lezhin Snack' launch strategy: MZ generation icon Yoon meets snack culture.
Hello! Today, we'll be analyzing the short-form trend that's changing the landscape of the content market and the marketing strategies of new platforms targeting it.
This is the launch campaign for [Lezhin Snack X STAYC Yoon].
Lezhin Snack, a short-form drama platform created by webtoon powerhouse Lezhin Comics, made a strong impression upon its launch by selecting STAYC member Yoon as its model.
Why was it called a "snack" rather than a "drama"? Why did it have to be STAYC Yoon among so many idols? Let's unravel the meticulous marketing strategy and targeting secrets hidden within this ad.
📱 1. Market Context: The Era of "Value for Money" and "Dopamine"
First, we need to understand the context behind this ad. We're truly in the "golden age of short-form content." The public, accustomed to TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, now perceives even hour-long dramas as long.
Time-to-performance ratio: This refers to the consumer desire to see the entire storyline within a short timeframe.
Dopamine: The pursuit of immediate entertainment through stimulating and fast-paced plot development.
Lezhin Snack accurately recognized this trend and entered the "short drama" market, lasting around 1-2 minutes, utilizing webtoon IP. This advertisement is a declaration of intent, declaring a fast and intense content platform that is completely different from existing OTT services.
🍬 2. Brand Naming & Concept: Eating content like a snack
The brand name, **Lezhin Snack**, is a very clever marketing strategy.
Snack Culture: This refers to cultural content that can be conveniently enjoyed anytime, anywhere.
Visualizing the sense of taste: The advertising tagline, "The more you watch, the tastier it gets," compares the drama genre to "taste." By expressing romance as sweet, thrillers as spicy, and makjang dramas as salty, the group transformed content consumption into a "gastronomic experience."
This strategy lowers the barrier to entry, encouraging consumers to consume content as casually as opening a bag of chips, rather than taking it seriously.
🐯 3. Model Strategy: Why "StayC Yoon"?
The core of this campaign is undoubtedly the model selection. StayC's Yoon (Sim Ja-yoon) perfectly aligns with Lezhin Snack's brand persona.
The Coexistence of Visuals and Otaku (The Real Consumer):
Yoon possesses unparalleled doll-like visuals, yet she also embodies a genuine "otaku" spirit, a lover of games and animation. This creates a strong sense of identity among the core target audience, who enjoy short dramas based on webtoons and web novels, as "an idol with the same tastes as us."
Positive Madness:
Yoon is renowned among fans for her overflowing energy and unique sense of humor. To handle the fast-paced, somewhat absurd, and provocative plot developments characteristic of short dramas (aka "makjang plots"), a character bursting with energy like Yoon is more suitable than a more reserved model. Her wide-eyed, immersive expressions in the commercial epitomize the addictive nature of short dramas.
Icon of the MZ/Zalpha Generation:
Yoon possesses the hip and kitschy charm favored by the Zalpha generation, a demographic of people in their 10s and 20s, precisely targeting the platform's core user base.
🎯 4. Target Analysis: The Dopamine-Seeking Thumb Tribe
This ad's primary target is clear:
The smartphone-dependent 10s and 30s: These are people looking for a quick entertainment during their commute, school commute, or in bed before bed. Heavy Webtoon/Webnovel Users: Having already used Lezhin Comics and similar platforms, these users are not averse to the live-action adaptation of 2D content, but rather curious about it.
Content Nomads Seeking New Thrills: These viewers are bored with traditional, slow-paced dramas and prefer recaps that simply compile the plot.
The ad intuitively tells them, "The exciting fun you've been looking for is all here."
🎨 5. Creative Analysis: Maximizing Visual Pleasure
The ad itself follows the grammar of short dramas.
Fast Cut Editing: The seamless transitions between scenes perfectly reflect the pacing of short-form content.
Vivid Colors: Lezhin Snack's brand color, intense red, Yoon's flashy costumes, and the kitschy subtitle design (typography) generate a visual "dopamine" rush.
Playing diverse side characters: Yoon's transformations from a romantic heroine to a revenge drama protagonist demonstrate the diverse genres (and tastes) available within the platform.
Yoon's gestures and facial expressions, which seem to burst out of the smartphone screen, effectively visualize the platform's mobile-centric nature.
📈 6. Marketing Implications: Branding Methods for Short-Form Platforms
The [Lezhin Snack X STAYC Yoon] ad isn't simply a new app launch ad. It's a symbolic campaign that demonstrates shifts in content consumption patterns.
While Netflix and Disney+ emphasize "grand, epic narratives," Lezhin Snack has carved out a niche by emphasizing "light, fast, and delicious fun." And by placing the trendy "Yoon" at the center of this strategy, it instantly defined the brand's personality.
📝 Conclusion: Enjoy short-form dramas like a "snack"
Lezhin Snack's ad is a powerful invitation to today's generation, who "can't stand anything that's not fun." Just like the immersive expressions STAYC Yoon displayed, the world of "short dramas" is one you can't stop watching once you've tasted it.
If you're reading this and need a break, why not try opening Lezhin Snacks like you'd open a bag of snacks? Of course, just like Yoon, you might lose track of time, so be careful!
This concludes our review of the Lezhin Snack launch campaign, analyzed from a marketer's perspective. We'll be back with more trendy brand stories next time.
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