YouTube celebrity 'boilermaker' signs liquor ad deal with Lotte

By Ko Dong-hwan

Ham Sun-bok, the "boiler master"

A barbeque restaurant owner famed for her masterful “boiler-making skills” in SNS videos signed an ad deal with Lotte Liquor.

Seoul Shinmun said Saturday Ham Sun-bok, 47, who manages the eatery in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, became a model for Cheoum Cheorum, the company’s soju brand. Ham signed the deal for 20-30 million won, according to the vernacular paper.

In the two recent SNS videos, Ham makes multiple glasses of “So-Mac” (mixture of soju and beer) and “Haeddeumju” (mixture of rubus coreanus fruit wine, soju and beer) in ways that are dazzling to beholders.

It’s apparently a rare treat to see, since the alcohol concoction has mostly been men’s subcultural asset, especially within corporate environments.

Each video has so far recorded 80,000 and 60,000 hits.

Lotte Liquor said Friday it will launch on SNS a promotional video where Ham will make So-Mac using Cheoum Cheorum. The company is also looking to promote its upcoming new beer brand “Cloud” along with the video as part of their viral marketing.