HP Omen campaign takes on status culture in Korea

'We don't care' what you look like, where you went to school, who your family is connected to, or how much wealth you have, declares a new campaign for HP's Omen brand of gaming hardware, by Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo.

The work presents gaming as an area of pure meritocracy, where young Koreans can achieve status through nothing other than their skills—although obviously access to pricey gaming hardware helps.

Foo Siew Ting, CMO, Greater Asia, HP:

We wanted to bring to life the ‘Play to Progress’ values of the HP Omen brand in a way that is culturally relevant and would resonate with gamers in Korea. Developed based on deep local insights, the ‘We don’t care’ campaign challenges gamers to define who they are by their skills, not their social status, to find purpose and achievement in their gameplay.

Scott Dungate, ECD, W+K Tokyo:

The work was created from a strong understanding of South Korean society pressures and the gaming audience. It’s provocative and underscores the fact that the gaming world is a place where only your skill will earn you respect and merit.

The film was directed by Nuri Jeong.

The work once again shows Wieden+Kennedy's knack for turning a real understanding of the target audience into potent positioning. The film is so well constructed, and the argument so convincingly made, that by the end, you're likely to end up agreeing that a new Omen deck would a good way to strike a blow against the tyranny of societal pressures, including materialism. Well played.  

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