SBS Announcers’ Fresh Advertisements Draw Attention

“I will open your heart in 30 seconds. I’m confident!”

“I’m 100 percent potential of anything, so don’t try to define me.”

“Handsome men are sincere?! Don’t you want to check him out?”

These are not catchphrases for commercials but rather what SBS announcers had to say about themselves in a recently published self-promotion brochure. Yoon Ji-young, Chung Min-sun, and Park Chan-min are the ones who came up with the above-mentioned phrases in the same order.

Twenty-nine SBS announcers are promoting themselves with original ideas. They recently published brochures, postcards and bookmarks with their pictures and self-introductions. The introductions include the year they joined SBS, the programs they appear on, e-mail addresses, and a few words to describe themselves. All of the announcers, from the veteran Sohn Suk-ki to the youngest, Chung Mi-sun, appear on the brochure.

The pictures taken are not small identification pictures, but pictures that were shot in big studios where pop stars take their pictures – hence creating more photogenic pictures. The SBS announcers give out these brochures to viewers they encounter and will sign the brochures for their fans.

Many of the self-introductions and pictures are related to the announcer’s field. Kim Jung-il, who broadcasts soccer games, took a picture dressed as a goalkeeper catching a ball and golf broadcaster Yoo Hyup took a picture of him with a golf club. Five hundred brochures were made for each announcer, and photogenic announcers have already distributed over half of the brochures.

The Deputy Director of the SBS Announcer Department, Yoo Young-mi said, “We made these brochures three years ago, and their promotional results were very good so this time we made our brochures in various forms such as postcards and bookmarks. It was a way to become closer to our viewers who are increasing their attention toward announcers, such as by creating on-line fan clubs in Internet portal-sites.”

Jung-Bo Suh suhchoi@donga.com