In a city famed for blending palatial splendour with neon-lit futurism, it seems fitting that Seoul’s latest tourism campaign would fuse tradition and trend. And who better to carry the banner than JENNIE, the global superstar whose presence alone can crash servers and melt Instagram algorithms?
Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization recently unveiled their ambitious campaign, Absolutely in Seoul, a cinematic series that has now clocked more than 600 million views worldwide. Yes, you read that right, six hundred million. Not bad for a city that once relied on brochures and glossy posters at travel expos.
Tourism Promotion Has Never Looked This Hip
This isn’t your grandmother’s tourism film. Instead, the campaign unfolds like a short movie, with JENNIE starring as a whimsical moon rabbit called DALTOKKI, a character with a penchant for Seoul’s charms. One could argue that if Beatrix Potter had grown up in Gangnam, Peter Rabbit might have been a K-pop idol too.
Seoul X JENNIE Digital GOODS
The series doesn’t just peddle pretty scenery. It serves up Seoul’s hotspots with cinematic flair, sprinkled with a touch of fantasy. Episode one, DALTOKKI, takes viewers on a fairytale-style journey into the capital. Episode two, Seoul City, leans into JENNIE’s track, which is the same name as her solo album, Ruby, marrying music and destination in a way that feels as natural as kimchi with rice.
A Whistle-Stop Tour of Seoul’s Best
JENNIE leads audiences through an enviable itinerary: the Hangang Bus for riverside vibes, Dongdaemun Design Plaza for futuristic architecture, and the heritage grace of Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung Palaces. The campaign doesn’t miss a beat from Seongsu-dong’s hipster haunts to Bukchon Hanok Village’s traditional houses.
Even the Euljiro backstreets and Nodeulseom Island, often skipped by guidebooks, get their moment under the spotlight. The underlying message? Seoul isn’t just a stopover between flights; it’s a destination where the past and future are conversing.
Breaking Records and Raising Eyebrows
This isn’t just a successful tourism ad, it’s a record-breaker. With over 600 million views, the campaign has become the most-watched in Seoul’s history, eclipsing every effort of the past eight years. That’s an achievement worth toasting with soju.
The media reaction was immediate and global. JENNIE’s appointment as Seoul’s Honorary Tourism Ambassador sparked 1,181 international news reports, while the videos have been reposted over 50,000 times on social platforms. In internet terms, that’s a stampede.
The Comment Section Never Lies
Viewers across continents flooded the campaign’s digital channels with multilingual enthusiasm. One remarked, “JENNIE perfectly captures the charm of Seoul, where the old and the new coexist.” Another enthused, “Using JENNIE’s track ‘Seoul City’ was a perfect match for a tourism campaign.”
Perhaps the most telling comment: “After watching this, I’m eager to visit Seoul immediately.” That’s the holy grail of tourism marketing — when your ad doesn’t just get liked or shared, but actually packs suitcases for you.
Seoul’s Strategy: Go Big or Go Home
The Seoul Tourism Organization isn’t stopping at YouTube and TikTok’s domination. Officials are preparing to roll out the campaign via traditional television ads and prime outdoor placements across major overseas markets. Think of JeNNIE gazing down from Times Square billboards or lighting up Shinjuku crossings.
“Today’s results demonstrate how Seoul has become a magnetic destination through K-pop and broader Hallyu content,” a Seoul Tourism Organization official explained. “We will continue to pursue active global marketing to achieve our goal of attracting 30 million international visitors.”
It’s an audacious target, but if the first half of this campaign is anything to go by, it’s also entirely within reach.
Why It Works
At its core, Absolutely in Seoul works because it understands the modern traveller. Today’s globetrotter doesn’t just want hotel recommendations or museum listings; they want a story. They want to feel like insiders, plugged into a city’s cultural pulse. By placing JENNIE front and centre, Seoul has tapped into one of the most potent cultural currents of our age: K-pop.
And unlike the cookie-cutter campaigns of old, this one is authentic, cinematic, and aspirational. It’s as comfortable in a TikTok feed as on a 4K cinema screen.
Final Thoughts
Seoul has pulled off something rare: a practical and downright entertaining tourism campaign. In the crowded world of destination marketing, where clichés often reign supreme, Absolutely in Seoul has set a new standard.
With JENNIE’s global star power, cinematic storytelling, and a dash of whimsy, Seoul has proven that tourism promotion can look this hip. One suspects that the only challenge now will be finding enough hotel rooms for the wave of new visitors set to arrive.
By Charmaine Lu
