Dancing Influencers: Korean superstars as guests in Switzerland

The story has come to the attention of 20 minutes last Thursday: An amateur video of Bern's Zytglogge tower went viral on the Internet and already has over 1.3 million views. The reason for the lively interest: In the foreground, a group of young Asian women are dancing. While Swiss passers-by tend to look on in amazement and indifference, the shot is causing a stir in South Korea: the ladies are superstars in their home country. Twice is a popular K-pop band that conquered the top of the South Korean charts with its last album.

The staging in Bern's old town is of course no coincidence, but rather calculated. The band's invitation was initiated by Switzerland Tourism South Korea, as Nicole Schaffner, head of communications at Bern Tourism, explains in response to an inquiry from Werbewoche. "Due to the long-standing and good partnership with Bern Tourism, they approached us with this exciting project, which of course made us very happy."

Bern was the first stop of the trip arranged by Switzerland Tourism South Korea. The program and support was organized by Bern Tourism. Besides the performance in the old town, the band also danced on the Schilthorn. Afterwards the trip continued to Montreux.

"Preparations for the trip began as early as last year," Janice Jo of Switzerland Tourism South Korea tells Werbewoche. She says they worked with various regional partners to overcome the numerous challenges, some of which were difficult - such as food for the group of 40. "All Swiss partners, including Bern Tourism, acted in a highly professional manner and supported us with full commitment - we are grateful to them for that," Jo said.

Fan films performance

The widely distributed Zytglogge video is conspicuous for its amateurish camera work, loud ambient noises and music that is far too quiet. The question arises as to why Bern did not take advantage of the opportunity to make a grand entrance with a more professional production. Nicole Schaffner answers it: "The video in question comes from a female fan who happened to be a spectator of this dance performance during her vacation in Bern - and could hardly believe her luck, as you can read in her commentary." The young woman tells in the video description, for example, that she got a nosebleed from all the emotion.

Twice, however, had been accompanied by a film crew, whose footage is scheduled for release in South Korea at the end of May. "The planned results of this tour include reality TV shows on television as well as online, and the production of DVDs and of photo spreads in magazines. The tour through Switzerland took place under the motto Knock! Knock! Switzerland in the style of her hit song, "The Knock Knock".

Fans posting the footage before official channels published it wasn't actually planned. "Twice fans from all over Europe traveled to Switzerland to catch a glimpse of their idols and post photos and videos of them on social media," says Janice Jo. "Control over the recordings quickly slipped away from us - which was, of course, entirely in our interest."

Will this kind of influencer marketing with Asian stars catch on? "If the opportunity arises and there is potential, certainly," says Nicole Schaffner. This is not the first time that famous Asian guests have been welcomed in Bern, as Switzerland Tourism South Korea is heavily involved in this regard. In March, for example, the famous actress and model Lee Syung-Kung was in Bern for a photo shoot.

Stars benefit from Swiss image

The question remains why the Asian stars travel to faraway Switzerland in the first place. Do they also want to attract attention in Europe? Does money play a role? Janice Jo waves it off. "It's not about money in such projects. But the celebrities benefit from the clean and natural image that Switzerland enjoys in Asia." Through appearances in the impressive alpine landscapes, which in South Korea are primarily associated with Heidi, Switzerland's positive image rubs off on the stars.

This in turn benefits Switzerland Tourism, says Jo: "In Korea, people are strongly influenced by what celebrities publish through all media channels. Where they travel, what fashion they wear, what trends they show. This is the reason why Switzerland Tourism South Korea relies so heavily on influencers. Further projects in this direction are being planned. In September 2017, for example, a Switzerland ambassador known beyond the country's borders is to be appointed for the first time, who will further publicize the country's advantages in South Korea. (hae)