Cheat day

The Crocodile and the Bird (5)

“Hahaha, this is real!”

“Those noisy guys got quiet as soon as they stuffed chicken in their mouths, haha!”

“Haha, if you’re going to advertise, do it sincerely like this!”

“It is delicious.”

“Yeah.”

As we kept eating, the chicken dwindled quite a bit. At this rate, it seemed like I could finish a whole one, but I must have been feeling unwell at that time.

[Dove has donated 100,000 KRW]: Hello, Banchan Yong. Could you clarify what it means that you were tasked with promoting our products and distributing them?

“?”

“What is this?”

“Oh my, is this real?”

“Dove is mad!”

“Quick, do a deep bow!”

“…Is this for real?”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t respond.

When I looked at my friends, they avoided eye contact.

“Ahem.”

“Quick, apologize.”

“Sir! That was just him! We had nothing to do with it!”

“Instant unfriending, lol!”

“What a trivial friendship, haha!”

“Haha, it was all Banchan Yong’s doing!”

“Baek Woo-jin is seriously hilarious!”

I clicked on the ID and accessed the channel; it was indeed Dove Korea.

I stood up and bowed from the waist.

“I’m sorry. It’s complicated to explain. I’m really sorry.”

Although Park Ji-hyo, the welfare officer, had already commented to explain, I couldn’t say that I wanted to give soap due to the smell out of fear of hurting their feelings.

“But soap is really important.”

Baek Woo-jin interrupted.

“If hygiene is poor, it lowers immunity, making it easier to catch minor illnesses.”

“Dove soap is hygienic. For sure.”

Cha Ji-chan added.

“Dove lacks sodium hydroxide, so its cleansing and antibacterial properties are lower.”

Cha Ji-chan covered Baek Woo-jin’s mouth.

“It’s gentle! And has good moisturizing properties.”

Ju Ji-seung jumped in to cover for Baek Woo-jin, but Baek Woo-jin brushed Cha Ji-chan’s hand away and pretended to know more.

“Right. Unlike other soaps, it’s neutral, so it can be used universally. There’s nothing like Dove for distributing to the general public.”

Ju Ji-seung and Cha Ji-chan exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

“But if you have oily skin, it’s better to use alkaline skin products instead of Dove.”

Cha Ji-chan covered Baek Woo-jin’s mouth again.

I couldn’t tell if that guy was trying to help me or just wanted to show off what he knew.

“When it comes to soap, it’s Dove. There wasn’t really any other reason. I’m sorry for lying for the advertisement.”

[Dove has donated 100,000 KRW]: Thank you for distributing our products. Baek Woo-jin made a good point; the products you distributed are suitable for skin care, and we also have antibacterial products that are specifically designed for that purpose. We would like to donate these products to you. We’d appreciate it if you could distribute them among the Nam Sadangpae group.

“Oh my!”

“What the heck?”

“Dove has antibacterial soap too!”

“Just like with the coriander mayo fried chicken, there are a lot of companies doing good work.”

I was so surprised that I didn’t realize Dove seemed to be taking advantage of this opportunity.

It seemed like they wanted to promote not only their beauty soap products but also their line of antibacterial products, which would help their corporate image, so it looked like they were using this incident to their advantage.

They could have contacted me directly, but by coming onto the joint broadcast of Nam Sadangpae, it became a form of promotion that I couldn’t refuse.

Even though I felt flustered about my offhand comment being spread more widely than I expected, it ultimately turned out well.

“Wow. Really? Dove has antibacterial soap?”

Baek Woo-jin was in an uproar.

“These guys keep improving their advertising skills.”

“Two promotions in one day, wow.”

“Oh, so today’s broadcast was for the coriander mayo fried chicken and Dove soap!”

“Whoa, a crew with over 6 million subscribers doing behind-the-scenes advertising?”

“Hahaha, wait, is this real or fake?”

“Is Banchan Yong trying to cover up?”

“At this point, it’s practically an open advertisement, haha!”

“No way, haha! It’s really happening—Dove is advertising now!”

“Advertising genius, lol!”

“Banchan Yong is playing the long game.”

First, I needed to sort out the situation.

“Thank you so much. If you could leave your contact information in my email, I’ll be sure to get in touch. Thank you.”

***

I had a meeting with Dove Korea’s staff regarding the soap sponsorship.

They agreed to support both antibacterial and moisturizing products, and I kept thanking them, but unexpectedly, they made a proposal.

“And by the way, Chan Yong, your skin condition is really different from last year and the year before. Do you take care of it separately?”

“Yeah. I’m doing various things.”

“Even if you said you were in your 20s, I would believe you. Did your skin used to be good, but it got worse?”

“I used to hear a lot that my skin was nice when I was younger. I only washed my face with water and didn’t apply anything, so I think it got worse.”

The staff member nodded.

“Do you have any plans to keep using our products?”

“Excuse me?”

“As you know, the moisturizing effect is really good.”

“That’s true. Haha.”

I didn’t quite understand the meaning behind their words, so I just smiled in response, and the staff member grinned back.

“Nowadays, even men are paying attention to their skin, so we were looking for a male model.”

“Are you proposing to me as a model?”

The pickled radish that was with me asked.

“Yes. Your friendly and innocent image fits perfectly. Although it was a coincidence that we came together, internally, it has been determined that you are suitable as the next advertising model.”

“Uh… this is sudden.”

“Of course. You can take your time to think about it.”

“If I proceed, what would the terms be?”

“I would propose a quarterly contract. If you express your willingness to proceed, I’ll provide the details.”

They didn’t share the conditions right away.

It’s probably due to some internal security regulations. If it’s a quarterly contract, that means it will be conducted in the second and fourth quarters, specifically in April, May, and June.

There’s just a little over a month left.

Even though they said to take my time, there isn’t much time for deliberation.

“Could you give us a moment?”

The pickled radish requested some time to discuss it with the Dove staff member.

“Sure. Please discuss, and call me back.”

The staff member left the room.

“What do you think?”

“The product is good. They’re doing something nice. And I’d be making money, so it’s not bad.”

“Is there something weighing on your mind?”

“It’s not that, but I feel a bit dazed. I’ve been receiving a lot of these kinds of offers lately. I don’t even know why this is happening.”

The pickled radish stared at me for a moment before speaking.

“It’s probably because the approach has changed.”

“The approach?”

“Last year, advertisers reached out because they saw the Banchan store. They must have found merit in numbers like subscriber count and view count. This year is different. It’s you, Chan Yong, who is the focus.”

“…”

“Because your recognition, image, and influence are prioritized, there is a strong tendency to want to use you as a model rather than just post reviews and advertisements on the Banchan store.”

Certainly, what the pickled radish said was true.

Most of the recent advertising proposals I received included promoting the Banchan store and being exposed to external media.

Both Dove and Lacoste, as well as the two products released by Ottogi, were like that.

Recently, I also received model offers from a famous tonkatsu franchise and a pizza franchise, as well as from Padak Padak Chicken.

Honestly, I had some desire to take on all of them, but it didn’t seem right to take multiple restaurant advertisements, especially since I had already signed a contract for CF and brand promotion with Padak Padak Chicken, which had helped me a lot.

“You mentioned before that it feels strange to be receiving attention and love. Don’t you think you’re noticing a change in how people view you or treat you?”

“That could be true.”

“You don’t need to worry. It’s a positive thing that work is being centered around you. Operating as Banchan Yong instead of a YouTuber with a million subscribers is more advantageous for business expansion. There are many million-subscriber YouTubers, but there is only one Banchan Yong.”

I nodded slowly.

“It feels strange. I don’t think I’m that great of a person.”

“You are great, Chan Yong. You lost 58 kg in 14 months. While you may say you had help from those around you, you’ve gained 1.3 million subscribers. People only share stories of kindness and gratitude regarding you. From your personal broadcasts to lunch boxes, and now your Manito activities, you’re making people happy. That’s why you’re receiving love. There’s no reason to feel anxious.”

I found myself smiling unconsciously.

“I really believe everything you say, Eun-ji.”

“You should, because I’m only speaking the truth.”

Thanks to the pickled radish, my thoughts were clarified.

“Well then, I guess I should make some money, right?”

“Good thinking.”

Lacoste, which respects individuality and freedom and seeks to be a connection between individuals, has stated that it highly values Banchan Yong’s image as someone who cultivates themselves and makes a positive impact on society.

Meanwhile, Banchan Yong is part of the YouTuber crew Nam Sadangpa, alongside Jimkkun, Ujinius, and Banya Shikgyeong, and is involved in various volunteer and donation activities.

[Influencer Banchan Yong Signs Contract as Dove Advertisement Model]
[Advertising Sensation Banchan Yong Lands Multiple CF Contracts]
Banchan Yong has been selected as the CF model for Padak Padak Chicken, following his work in the Dove soap CF.

Having advertised products and brands such as Ottogi’s spicy braised short ribs, Ottogi’s spicy soup bread, and Padak Padak Chicken through entertainment programs like “Following the White Rice” and “Praise for Korean Cuisine,” Banchan Yong has recently been appointed as the global ambassador for Lacoste and a Dove CF model.

Known for losing 58 kg over the course of a year, Banchan Yong has become a representative of self-management through dieting, exercise, and skincare, with his clean and well-maintained image being a key factor.

According to a spokesperson, they noted the transformation in Banchan Yong’s appearance through his self-management, which highlighted his once-friendly image.

Additionally, Banchan Yong plans to incorporate the YouTuber crew Nam Sadangpa into a corporation to expand their business scope.

I anticipated that it would get noisy when the news got out, but I was overwhelmed in ways I could never have imagined.

With personal broadcasts, advertisement production, “Be Happy,” and the establishment of Nam Sadangpa, I had a mountain of tasks to tackle, and even elementary school classmates, with whom I hadn’t had contact for years, started calling me.

At first, I chatted with them pleasantly, but eventually, it all ended up leading to requests for joining something, selling products, or borrowing money. I decided not to answer calls from unknown numbers anymore.

“I need to change my phone number. This is so exhausting.”

After I casually mentioned this, Cha Ji-chan and Baek Woo-jin were glaring at me.

“What’s up?”

“…Why are you the only one getting ads?”

“Right? We all did it together, so why are you the only one getting CFs?”

“We agreed to do Padak Padak Chicken together.”

“What about Dove?”

“What about Lacoste?”

“Well, they wanted me specifically. I told them I wanted to work with everyone, and that’s why we’re doing Padak Padak Chicken together.”

“Be honest. What else are you doing?”

“How much are you getting paid?”

“Nothing. No money.”

“….”

“Ha ha ha.”

“Ah! This is so annoying!”

“I’m jealous, you jerk!”

Baek Woo-jin and Cha Ji-chan lunged at me.

(Note: The references to Unilever and Dove are fictional and have no connection to real companies.)