Creative Minds: Eunjeong Shin's literary love story with advertising

In Creative Minds, we ask APAC creatives a long list of questions, from serious to silly, and ask them to pick 11 to answer. (Why 11? Just because.) Want to be featured?

Name: Eunjeong Shin

Origin: Seoul, South Korea

Places lived/worked: Seoul, South Korea

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

• Copywriter, Cheil Worldwide, Seoul (2019-present)

1. How did you end up being a creative?

One day, I found a company with a fascinating question in their job posting. They wanted me to take a well-known story, give it a creative twist, and share it. Thinking it was a unique approach to discovering applicants’ values and creativity, I jumped in right away and filled them out. Those nights answering these questions turned out to be the most enjoyable during my job search. Maybe fate nudged me toward the career I always wanted—working with words.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

I want to talk about the ‘Karrot' ad. This is a popular app in Korea. 



It began as a local second-hand trading platform and has evolved into a community hub. The ad features a woman singing a musical monologue. At first, it sounds like a love song, but it turns out it is actually about her inner thoughts facing a trade. I love how the shared thoughts of Karrot users transformed into a genuinely lifelike musical song. The lyrics follow: “Dressed in black, you said you'd come, And suddenly, the whole world looked like you. But what I'm searching for is only you. Just by looking into your eyes, I can tell it’s you. Would you know my trembling heart?'

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

Every ‘Hot Choco Mite’ ad in Korea. Their slogan, ‘Hot Choco Mite when the cold wind blows,’ has been a winter tradition since 2003. The term 'cold wind' in Korea encompasses chilly weather and awkward situations. So, it usually goes like this: when the cold wind blows, Hot Choco Mite comes to the rescue, and the kid actor nails it, adding that sweet marshmallow touch. I love this straightforward yet heartwarming narrative and can’t help but ask: how do they consistently discover a relatable story and a new, talented, adorable baby actor year after year?

4. What kind of a student were you?

Master of not studying literature and still slaying it.

5. Who is on your dream dinner guest list, alive or dead?

Beyoncé, Lenka, Mika, Dido, Park Hyo-shin, and Jaurim. What on earth is this combination? They're the major stakeholders of my 16-year-old playlist.

6. Who is the most important person in your life (not including parents)

Kim Yuna, the frontwoman of Jaurim, one of the best rock bands in Korea, and a singer-songwriter. It's always astonishing how such a vast array of masterpieces can come from a single human being. Her songs were my lifeline through adolescence.

7. What advice would you give your ten-year-old if you could?

Hey, don't overthink too much. None of those thoughts made it to the future where I came from.

8. What food can you not live without? What food would you be happy never to taste again?

I can't live without kimchi. I put it on almost everything, but I could totally live without oyster kimchi.

9. Do you have a nickname? How did you get it?

Some of my friends call me Sonyo. It's a mashup of my favourite soju and Ponyo—a Ghibli character—because of my wide-set eyes.

10. Do you have a catchphrase?

Just do it. It's a perfect mantra for an overthinker like me.

11. Cat person or a dog person?

Cats. I recently moved to a cat-friendly village, and it’s become my daily source of happiness. When I see one on my way to work, I quietly think to myself: 'Today is cat blessed'.