Here is the text:
How about bibimbap for lunch today?
Bibimbap is a dish mixed of cooked
rice with various vegetables, beef, garnishes, and
fried pepper paste. It is said that this dish came
from the customers of memorial service and rural villages.
This dish is very convenient to provide, just mixing of cooked
rice with various vegetables, namul, and red pepper paste together.
I assume this was written by Seo Kyoung-duk – an honorary professor at Sungshin Women’s University.
The title is ok. It grabs your attention and so does the picture. However, I’m not sure if the text matches the picture because there is raw beef and a raw egg. (I guess the egg is the “garnishes”.)
Here are my problems with the text:
I have a major issue with the following line, “It is said that this dish came from the customers of memorial service and rural villages.”
Customers at a funeral? What are they buying? Oh, and death does evoke pleasant feelings, nor does it make me think of delicious food. “Rural Villages” is ok, but I don’t think a funeral and a farm should be in the same sentence. The rural village should have been a separate idea and I think the idea of using “farm” or “locally grown” would have been better.
The last line is just a repeat of what was said earlier. And why say cooked rice? Of course the rice is going to be cooked. It could be confusing because it implies that the vegetables might not be cooked.
The last line also uses a Korean word: namul. People that don’t know Korean won’t know what it is. It should have been taken out.
Overall, this advertisement that went in the New York Times looks like something a middle school student might have written. Seo Kyung-duk should have done a little research, got the piece proofread, or contacted a marketing company to help write the ad.
Also, why promote bibimbap? I think Korean Barbecue would have been a homerun something a majority of people could embrace.
Dan
About the Author
why bother to promote at all…. it's embarassing
This ad was produced by the comedians on the Infinite Challenge (무한도전) who did a series of episodes in NY, one of which involved Korean cooking. There is no raw beef in the picture (unless you're confusing the gochujang with meat) and the egg yolk was probably cut out from a sunny-side-up egg. As far as I can see, there is nothing embarrassing about the ad or the idea of promoting a food that is not indigenous to a country. The reason why raw fish is associated with Japan and not Italy or Chile is because Japan actually spent money to product Japanese food in countries like the US.
It is a gorgeous picture but the narrative leaves much to be desired.
Jin, the reason the advertisement is embarrassing is that the wording is awkward. There are many errors in the advertisement. The ad should have been edited and worded for the American public. The wording of the ad doesn't help with the promotion of bibimbap.
I agree with you that we should promote Korean food. I'm just saying Korea should have a better approach to it.
Thanks for writing and I'm sorry if I offended you. I hope you understand my reasoning now.
Dan
I'm with Dan. As a professional writer and amateur advocate for korean food, I cringe at the text. crikies, help American -pronounce- it — i'll bet that's what's stopping them from ordering it for lunch! ^^
~paula in miguk, WA 주, tacoma 시
I'm fairly certain that's beef next to the green stuff and the egg yolk is definitely raw. You might want to have your prescription checked, Jin.
You said it Dan. Embarrassing. I'm totally with you on your reasoning. I recently read an article about brand image of Korean products sold in the American market. The main point was highlight failed product launches that have bombed due to English errors coupled with misunderstanding American culture. The wording, the photo, the message…very embarrassing.
omg yes… the grammar is horrible, which is especially bad seeing that the NYT is written for 'educated' people even more so than other publications. i wonder if the NYT called them about those errors — typically if there are glaring mistakes like that, an ad department would ask for clarification.
Carol, maybe the NYT noticed the errors but because of not wanting to cause offense (and an overdose of PC), the ignored the bad grammar and just ran it.
Jin, I apologize. You are right. I confused the gochujang for yukhwae. I still feel that promoting barbecue would have gotten a more positive reaction. I was watching the show and there was one man that said, "I don't love" bibimbap.
True — maybe to call attention to the mistakes would have caused some hurt feelings and/or the perception of being disrespected. Sigh. What a waste of money! They should really hire an American company to do media in American markets!
Hi, Carol,
"They should really hire an American company to do media in American markets!"
nah, I'll do the job for a couple o' first-class round-trip tix on Korean Air and a hotel room in Seoul. ^^ (sometimes, Chez Dan is booked for months on end…)
My hunch is that the NYT or any newspaper doesn't edit or help with the layout of ads unless the contributor asks for that kind of service. I went online and looked at NYT ad specs. Tons of production specs and a few cautionary notes about not printing anything libelous etc — "The Times may decline to accept advertising that is misleading, inaccurate or fraudulent; that makes unfair competitive claims; or that fails to comply with its standards of decency and dignity" — but nothing about just bad English. ^^ ~paula
The ad doesn't mention Korea at all… People wouldn't know if BiBimBap or Beebim-Bop is from Krorea.
just commenting about what JooWON said: it is the 'poster' that does not mentino KOREA. at the end of the ad video, it is written ' Taste of Korea' plz criticize with precise information
Hey, That one in the picture also is a kind of bibimbab.
Raw beef? Raw egg? If you go to Jeon-Ju in korea, you can see Jeon-ju bibimbap which looks like one in the picture.