Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 59

59. Pre-Release Marketing

In this phase, the production team often emphasized the dedication and expertise invested in the drama to promote it externally.

[Action Actor Jang Wook Acquires Shooting Training License for Filming]

[Ministry of National Defense Invites Experts for Close Inspection]

[Medical Drama ‘New Doctor’ Collaborates with Korea University Hospital for High-Quality Script]

[Full-Scale Idol Development Drama ‘Idol Maker’ Collaborates with Korea’s Leading Agency, Neon Entertainment]

This is a very effective promotional method.

It not only gives outsiders the impression that ‘This drama is different from the start!’ but also attracts enthusiasts interested in the field.

[I heard they went to a professional training center in the US to film this ㄷㄷㄷ (onomatopoeia for awe)]

[Wow, real craftsmanship ㄷㄷ (onomatopoeia for awe)]

[Looks like they’re making it with serious dedication]

This time, [Cafe del Dia] was no exception.

[Coffee or Tea].

There is a community full of people who love coffee and beverages.

Usually calm, this place suddenly became noisy over [Cafe del Dia].

[I heard Lee Min-ki was personally coached by barista Kim Hee-kyung to film this work?]

This was because similar marketing was in progress this time as well.

[Kim Hee-kyung? The one who won awards overseas?]

[I heard he received personal coaching even before the broadcast]

It was said that Lee Min-ki, who played the main character, and many of the production staff were coached by Kim Hee-kyung.

In addition to script review.

When [Cafe del Dia], which aims to be a full-fledged coffee drama, was released, it was no wonder that [Coffee or Tea], a community full of enthusiasts, was buzzing.

[The coffee boom is coming]

[The coffee roasting man boom is also coming]

[I have been living for today]

[Lee Min-ki is handsome]

[LOL, I guess a lot of people will be coming to barista classes soon]

The reaction was good.

Perhaps because coffee is endlessly popular in modern life, but it has rarely been significantly exposed in the media.

It was because enthusiasts had been eagerly awaiting a work that would quench their thirst.

Moreover, Kim Hee-kyung, one of the top elites in the Korean coffee industry, participated in the production stage.

[Kim Hee-kyung confidently recommends it, staking her name as a barista. It is a work that everyone from people who work with coffee to those who enjoy coffee on a daily basis can enjoy.]

Her personal success was important, but she had been actively working in the mass media, thinking about the future of the coffee industry itself.

Few people in Coffee or Tea did not know her.

[Kim Hee-kyung is trustworthy]

[She worked so hard and is now seeing the results.]

Is there any need to say more?

A festive atmosphere blossomed.

[I have to watch the live broadcast]

[Isn’t Lee Min-ki that guy? The one with the good body.]

[Yeah, he filmed a supplement commercial last time]

[LOL, how can a rookie be stripping already]

[He seems to be one of the top five rookies these days]

[Agreed]

Like a wildfire in winter, the ignited public opinion did not easily die down.

[Cafe del Dia] had undoubtedly become the center of [Coffee or Tea].

Suddenly.

A person appeared.

[I got a production presentation invitation]

The moment that post was uploaded.

[Ah]

The community atmosphere, which had been as hot as freshly baked sweet potatoes in winter, cooled down as if cold water had been poured on it.

Why?

Shouldn’t members of the community be happy if they are invited to a successful drama?

[;;;;;;;; (onomatopoeia for awkward silence)]

[;;; (onomatopoeia for awkward silence)]

[;; (onomatopoeia for awkward silence)]

Why did they lose their words?

The reason is.

[Oh, not that jerk again?]

It was because the author of that post was quite famous in the community.

[Member Name: KimBawiCham]

He was a member notorious for being a ‘cool-disease patient’ [someone who tries to appear aloof and cynical] even within Coffee or Tea.

[His luck is disgustingly good]

[Please don’t go]

[What are you going to do there again?]

Reactions erupted against the luck of a user they didn’t want to see.

But he himself was always confident.

[How do you know if focusing on coffee is just marketing?]

He had his own beliefs.

The belief that his thoughts are absolutely right.

From the beginning, not all viewers looked favorably on this expert marketing.

[Isn’t it just putting their name on it? Last time, the military drama was reviewed by the Ministry of National Defense, but they performed open-chest surgery outdoors]

It’s all a setup for marketing, knowing it all

Have you only watched Korean dramas for a day or two?

If they start dating, coffee will be put on the back burner.

Originally, medical dramas in Korea are dramas where they date in hospitals, and office dramas are dramas where office workers date each other.

Doesn’t Kim Hee-kyung know that people call her a show barista [someone who is more interested in appearances than substance] behind her back? LOL]

That’s right.

Unlike what had been heavily promoted, once the broadcast started, the shallow depth was soon revealed.

It was inevitable.

That’s how dramas are.

Since the essence is fun, if you have to compromise between fun and realism, you cheerfully give up the latter.

Of course.

[So serious]

People who knew the situation in this field knew that marketing was just marketing.

That’s why KimBawiCham, who always tackled everything first, couldn’t be seen favorably.

[He probably doesn’t have any friends]

[He acts like he knows everything]

[So he doesn’t contribute even an iota to the coffee culture]

[Please don’t go there. I’m worried that even people who like coffee will be criticized because of you]

Ridicule continues to flow out.

However, KimBawiCham declared confidently, as if rebelling against it.

[They said there’s a Q&A session in the middle, right? I’m going to destroy it]

The declaration of war rang.

* * *

“……”

There are so many people than I thought.

That was what Lee Min-ki thought as he looked around the hall.

‘I heard they invited not only reporters but also many general viewers.’

It was the production team’s decision.

If we’re going to brew coffee and have people drink it, let’s provide it not only to the media but also to the general public.

The decision was based on the logic that it would be better for our broadcast’s image.

But I didn’t expect it to be this crowded.

Moreover.

“Wow, Min-ki must be happy.”

Director Noh Ho-yeon chuckled.

“There are people holding pickets over there? They must be fans.”

This was because there were often people who didn’t hide that they were fans of Lee Min-ki.

‘What are those pickets?’

His face was clearly printed on the wooden board. A photo taken from who knows when or where.

[Lee Min-ki immigrated into my heart]

[Min-ki, let’s hit the jackpot!]

[We support actor Lee Min-ki, who will become a shining star in the sky]

There were even more than one or two of those people.

Lee Min-ki’s face flushed as he watched them gathering in groups and bursting into laughter.

‘Ugh, come to think of it, did they say I’m slowly getting a fandom?’

He had heard from manager Park Han-mo a while ago.

Recently, a Lee Min-ki gallery [online fan forum] was created on the internet, and although it’s still in its early stages, posts are being uploaded quite actively.

[Congratulations in advance. Fan management is essential for success. Actors need buzz, and fans create that buzz.]

In other words, the emergence of a fandom was like a sign of success for an actor.

‘I’m happy.’

Maybe the people over there came from there too.

I’m embarrassed but also grateful.

I should go there soon and post a greeting along with authentication.

‘No. I should sign autographs for them on the way later. No, autographs are a bit much. Yeah, I should take pictures with them. They’ll accept that much, right?’

He was secretly worried because he had never managed a fandom before.

Two people approached him.

“Min-ki, how have you been?”

“Ah, teacher!”

“Just call me Hee-kyung.”

One was barista Kim Hee-kyung.

The other one was.

“I’m Song Jin-bae.”

He was a rather stiff-looking person.

His impression was not only stern but solid, and his large hooked nose was so impressive that it filled the view.

“……I’m actor Lee Min-ki.”

The gaze, which did not feel any emotion, was as heavy as a rock.

It was the first time to face that face directly in reality, but even so, he knew exactly what he did.

‘I heard he’s a big shot in the Korean coffee industry.’

He was the CEO of Bumcheon Food Company (BFC), a well-known food and beverage company in Korea.

Bumcheon is a company that runs various food businesses centered on beverages, and among them, there was a field that it focused on especially.

That was coffee.

‘I heard that if it’s a place that handles coffee in Korea, there’s no place where Bumcheon’s influence doesn’t reach.’

From coffee bean distribution to machines, cups, various sauces, franchise investment, and interior design.

Because the places it touches are so wide, it is difficult to discuss the domestic coffee market without Bumcheon’s influence.

In short, CEO Song Jin-bae was a big shot.

His characteristic was that he worked on the ground in the field.

If it doesn’t pass through his tongue at Bumcheon, no matter how much effort is put into the product, it can’t be released to the market.

It seems reckless at first glance, but he has a palate that rivals any gourmet, so it works.

I heard that CEO Song Jin-bae also participated in this event as an investor.

‘It’s the first time in my life to face such a big shot.’

I’m breathless.

There is a unique atmosphere that people who have achieved great success in society often exude.

Should I say their eyes are different?

That gaze that seems to scrutinize the other person to the depths of their shell.

Facing it head-on made me feel like I was standing naked in front of a carnivore.

It’s heavy.

Lee Min-ki was barely standing without showing it.

“Min-ki.”

CEO Song Jin-bae said in a voice as blunt as his face.

“I enjoyed ‘Forever Green’ very much.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“I’m also looking forward to this work. I hope to see good acting.”

That was the end.

CEO Song Jin-bae finished his short words and immediately turned around and left after showing his face for a while.

“Hoo.”

The atmosphere is no joke.

Only then did Lee Min-ki, who had been relieved of his tension, take a long breath.

“Min-ki, how is it?”

Barista Kim Hee-kyung smiled and asked him, who was belatedly losing strength in his legs.

“He’s a bit cute, isn’t he?”

“Ah, yes, cute……”

Wait a minute.

What did she just say?

Lee Min-ki momentarily felt like something foreign had entered his ear and asked again.

“Cute?”

“Yes, CEO Song Jin-bae is very cute, isn’t he?”

“……”

Cute?

That person?

Lee Min-ki’s gaze fell into even more doubt.

Barista Kim Hee-kyung, is that her taste?

I shouldn’t evaluate people carelessly, but even if I say CEO Song Jin-bae’s face is good a hundred times, it seems like it’s far from cute.

Manly, maybe.

Nevertheless, since tastes must be respected, Lee Min-ki tried to save his words, but barista Kim Hee-kyung shook her hand and said.

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I mean his personality is cute.”

“……”

His personality is cute?

That personality?

Lee Min-ki’s gaze, which was already full of questions, was even more lost in the maze.

“There are few people who love coffee as sincerely as that person. Hehe, you can see that he has pure affection for this industry. It’s definitely not common.”

I don’t quite know what pure affection barista Kim Hee-kyung is talking about.

I don’t even get a sense of it.

But since she says so, let’s just say so.

Lee Min-ki clenched his fist and said.

“Yes, I think I know!”

“Right? If you get close to Min-ki, there will be good things for you in the long run.”

Of course.

I know it.

While Lee Min-ki was nodding his head at the words he couldn’t understand at all.

Someone mixed in with the crowded crowd, holding a backpack tightly to his chest, looked at Lee Min-ki from afar and thought.

‘Found him.’

His target was standing there.