Advertising: The appeal of the ordinary

There is an interesting article in Chosun.com (Korea) that suggests that in the midst of a recession, advertisers are dropping celebrities in favour of ordinary people, which they believe are more apt to make consumers identify with a product and think, "That's me they're talking about." The series of Dove adverts is a good example.

Kookmin Bank, took things a step further for their ads. They chose eight people from its personnel pool after advertising the event internally. Kookmin Bank director Moon Seung-chul, said: "It's true, there is no face recognition, but the ads are effective because they are cost-effective and project a friendly image to the public."