Branding in Seongsu aired its much-awaited premiere episode on Monday, February 5, 2024, at 12 a.m. KST on U+Mobile TV. The episode was also available to stream on Viki. The series follows the story of a rude team leader and workaholic, Kang Na-On (Kim Ji-Eun), and an intern, So Eun-Ho (Lomon). The two have completely different views while working in the marketing agency. Their life turns upside down when their souls get trapped after an unintentional kiss.
Episode 1 of Branding in Seongsu introduced the main characters and the Seongsu marketing agency. Workaholic leader Kang Na-On ensured that she got on board the biggest beauty brand in Korea for their next marketing project. However, the senior intern in the agency, So Eun-Ho, had issues with the brand and the marketing project. The two got into an argument over righteous marketing when the intern went against the ideals of his boss.
Branding in Seongsu episode 1: Lomon goes against Kim Ji-Eun’s ideals of branding
The latest Branding in Seongsu episode began with Team Leader Nam introducing a package marketing advertisement from the Seongsu Agency to the founder of XU cosmetics. However, the founder preferred to speak with another team leader, Kang Na-On. It turned out that Mr. Nam had purposely not informed her about the meeting timings.
Kang Na-On and her assistant, Do Yu-Mi, were stuck in traffic. However, the former used her wit to influence the taxi driver into taking another route. Although she made it to the meeting, the founder only gave her three minutes to make her pitch. She proved her brand marketing prowess by describing how she turned a lead actor with a criminal background to have a successful brand image. This impressed the founder, and he agreed to have a deal with Na-On.
As they went on a walk, the founder suggested that they open their XU beauty line pop-up by closing up a domestic, handmade shoe factory site. Na-On agreed to the same, and the deal was finalized. On reaching the office, she helped Yu-Mi put up a social media post confirming a deal with XU cosmetics. Fellow employees began engaging with the post, complimenting Na-On for landing a deal with the biggest beauty brand in Korea.
When they wondered if Na-On had any concerns in life, Yu-Mi explained that the team leader did have many enemies who spoke ill about her. At night, Na-On and the agency’s CEO arrived earlier from her vacation. She wondered if it was alright for Na-On to take on a brand that had a controversy about testing on animals a few years ago. Although Na-On acknowledged the difficulties, she still wanted to pursue it to accomplish the project.
The following day, employees from the shoe factory closed up the doors using their manpower. Similarly, Seongsu Agency employees also gathered to try and push the door to open. However, they found out that one of their fellow employees, intern So Eun-Ho, was with the shoe factory employees. Eun-Ho sided with them because he was against the pop-up store. He wanted to preserve the shoe factory.
As he continued to protest even in the office, his behavior landed him in trouble with Kang Na-On. It turns out that Na-On was his senior both in college and in work. The two began to argue over righteous branding. Eun-Ho expressed that marketing should take place in an ethical way, without any harm to the shoe factory employees. He also addressed his issues with the brand testing on animals. However, Na-On screamed at him, stating that he shouldn’t pursue marketing if he wanted to act all righteously while being on her team.
Na-On then asked him to leave. The scene shifted to back when they had differences of opinion regarding marketing back in college. Back to the present, Na-On looked at some materials for their project with Yu-Mi and art team leader Cha Jeong-Woo. Yu-Mi asked if there was something going on between Na-On and Eun-Ho. Na-On declined, stating what they had wasn’t romance but “loathing.”
Meanwhile, Eun-Ho was having dinner with his fellow employees when they enquired whether he had a lovers quarrel with Na-On in the office. Eun-Ho assured them that nothing was going on between them. They worried that Na-On would transfer Eun-Ho to the underdog team, which would practically add no value to the company. Eun-Ho then received a message from Na-On asking him to come to Onrad Hotel, leaving him frightened and confused.
To watch what happens next, tune in to Branding in Seongsu episode 2 on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 12 a.m. KST on U+Mobile TV and later on Viki.
