From weather forecasts to lottery drawing, stars turn to unconventional promo tactics

Park Bo-gum appears as a one-day weathercaster on JTBC’s flagship news program "Newsroom" on May 26. Captured from YouTube

In a move that caught viewers off guard, actor Park Bo-gum recently stepped onto the set of JTBC’s flagship news program "Newsroom," not as a guest, but as a one-day weathercaster. Wearing a sharp suit adorned with a Korean national flag, Park opened the forecast saying, “Early summer, a season when new beginnings come to mind.”

He continued, “I will be making a new start as Yoon Dong-joo, a special police officer and former boxing gold medalist, in JTBC’s new drama ‘Good Boy,’ which premieres this Saturday. I hope to share this beginning with all of you.”

This unconventional appearance reflects a growing trend in Korean entertainment, where stars are embracing creative promotional strategies to stand out in a content-saturated market. And for Park — who plays a rookie officer fighting corruption in a fast-paced action comedy — the polished weathercaster concept offered a fitting teaser for the role.

Park Bo-gum and IU perform a duet song on KBS' music show "Golden Oldies" in March Courtesy of KBS

This isn’t Park's first time engaging in innovative promotional strategies.

In 2016, Park, dressed as a crown prince of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, danced to Shaggy's "Boombastic" in a trailer for the drama "Love in the Moonlight." The trailer went viral, garnering 3 million views on YouTube in just 5 days after its release.

Of late, Park and co-star IU appeared in KBS' "Golden Oldies," a music program that presents Korean pop songs from the 1950s to '70s, and sang a ballad in duet to promote their Netflix drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines."

While promotional appearances on talk or variety shows are common, it’s been rare for stars to appear in the shows especially targeting a broader and older demographic, often overlooked by mainstream entertainment marketing. It is said that Park himself presented the idea.

Before Park, actor Kim Min-ju also took on a surprise weathercaster role on "Newsroom" last November to promote her film "Hear Me: Our Summer," in which she plays a hearing-impaired swimmer. She introduced herself in sign language and delivered the weather forecast. Other K-pop idols, such NCT’s Mark, singer Baekho and TWICE’s Dahyun, have also made surprise appearances as one-day weather presenters to promote a new song or album.

Viewer reactions were mostly positive, with comments such as, “Promoting a drama in such a fantastic way — good, good! It’s like a gift to see Park Bo-gum popping up everywhere. Who knew the news could be this sweet?” and “From weathercasting to even appearing on the lottery draw … these days, celebrity promotions are more diverse than the news itself.”

A Netflix show features old women of Jeju Island who make art themed on the drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines." Courtesy of Netflix

Targeting broader demographic

Actor Jung Hae-in, during the promotion for his film "I, the Executioner," the sequel to hit film "Veteran," made headlines by appearing on MBC’s "Live Lottery Draw 6/45," using the live lottery broadcast as a platform to promote his film. He and co-star Hwang Jung-min also made guest appearances on the morning talk show "Morning Forum," whose main audience is middle-aged and older adults .

Lee Je-hoon, the star of currently running film "Big Deal," also chose to appear in the same morning show, Tuesday, signaling a growing trend among actors to promote their work through unconventional platforms that target more diverse audiences.

Lee plays a global investment firm executive targeting a struggling soju company during Korea’s 1997 financial crisis and his choice to appear on "Morning Forum" is seen as a deliberate move to engage with a wider generational demographic. The film’s focus on soju — Korea’s most beloved spirit — also lends itself to broader appeal, resonating with viewers across age groups.

Experts note a growing shift in publicity strategies. From weather segments and newsrooms to national lottery shows, celebrities are breaking traditional molds in public relations and these promotional choices highlight a new paradigm in entertainment marketing — one that values novelty, surprise and strategic audience targeting.

"Usually, actors preparing for a movie release choose to appear on popular TV entertainment programs or YouTube channels to connect with younger audiences. However, Lee Je-hoon made the somewhat unusual choice of appearing on KBS’ 'Morning Forum,'" said an SBS producer in charge of current affairs programs.

"This move is seen as an effort not only to promote the film but also to broaden his connection with audiences across different generations."

Actor Jung Hae-in appears on MBC’s "Live Lottery Draw 6/45" in December 2024 during promotional activities for his film "I, the Executioner." Courtesy of MBC

As audiences increasingly consume content through streaming platforms, global players like Netflix are also stepping up their cross-platform marketing efforts, aiming to connect with diverse age groups and interest segments.

Instead of simply releasing a trailer, Netflix uploaded a “reaction video” featuring older women from Jeju Island watching "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and sharing their responses to promote the series set on the southern island.

The global streaming giant also carried out a project where the women created drawings together. Their process of making artwork themed around the drama and exhibiting those pieces was also filmed and presented in a video. Making use of the character Ae-sun’s love for literature in the drama, Netflix held a writing contest as well.

A Netflix official in charge of promoting "When Life Gives You Tangerines" said that the marketing strategy reflected the unique narrative of the drama.

“While the promotional approach may differ for each drama, in the case of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' we focused our marketing around the plot and the key message. We believed it was important to utilize the elements of the drama itself, so we planned content that allowed viewers to participate in and experience the drama directly," she said.

"By doing so, we increased immersion and maximized the emotional impact and message of the content, ultimately raising interest in the drama."