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| Gordon Ramsay, right, in his second venture to star in Cass commercials that were released on Mar. 5. / Courtesy of Oriental Brewery |
By Ko Dong-hwan
British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, known for his bluntness, has once again returned with commercials for the South Korean lager Cass. His mission is to defend the beer that is widely criticized as too bland. Following last year's endorsement campaign, he is on his second crusade for the Korean lager that is often the butt of jokes among Korean beer drinkers. Would Ramsay's latest endorsement add the flavor this transparent beer lacks?
His latest Cass commercials look something like this. A rookie employee of an unknown company is in trouble. At a restaurant, his superiors tell him to order whatever he likes, and the rookie takes it as a test of his good or bad taste. As the tension builds, Ramsay, who flinches for nothing when it comes to foods and drinks, swoops in and advises the rookie to order the South Korean lager Cass first and brighten up the mood, saying "Cass Monjeo!" "Monjeo" is Korean word for "first." Ramsay's charm saves the day.
In a different scene, a young man and woman torture themselves in an awkward moment on a blind date. Ramsay suggests the pair, with their mouths going dry, break the ice with Cass first. "Cass Monjeo!" exclaims the star giddily.
The beer maker's TV and online video ads released Monday use wordplay to come up with "Ca-Mon" ― a play on"come on" ― as a catchphrase.
Ramsay stirred the global lager community with his sensational appearance in his previous Cass commercial. Oriental Brewery, owned by Belgium's AB InBev, contacted him again for a second commercial to keep the momentum going but it remains to be seen whether it will offset some of the negative public reviews from the first commercial. Critics previously said his world-class reputation doesn't match his endorsement of what's far from a world-class lager, or that he "sold his soul" for OB's undisclosed but likely extravagant hospitality during his Seoul visit last year from November to December, according to a South Korean critic.
"Ramsey represents a third person's viewpoint among Koreans in the latest Cass ads," Lee Eun-a, an OB public relations executive, told The Korea Times. "In that way, he can propose an objective, transparent solution to situations that Koreans with little social experience in professional careers or flirtation often encounter."
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| Ramsay's latest Cass commercials carry the catchphrase "Cass Monjeo," which is abbreviated "Ca-Mon." Sounding similar to "Come on," the commercials encourage diners to order Cass first and break the ice. / Courtesy of Oriental Brewery |
OB, let alone its Korean and, if any, global consumers, knows the controversy Ramsay invited in with his first Cass commercial. Although he and OB had shaken hands in promoting the lager as a good pairing with Korean dishes, the message attracted a bombardment of critics.
"Cass makes a poor partner for Korea's pungent cuisine," said Andrew Salmon, a columnist of The Korea Times. "To compliment spice, you need strong flavors. Hence ― as a general rule ― Gewurztraminer has long been the go-to wine for Asian spices: Its strong, dry, fruity, off-sweet flavor is not overpowered by Indian, Szechuan or Korean cuisine. This may explain why Hoegaarden ― brewed under license by the same company that produces Cass, Belgium's AB InBev ― has been so successful in Korea: Its dryness matches Korean fire."
Koreans, who increasingly love imported beers over domestic products, were soured by Ramsay's Cass commercial because they knew the lager's unpopularity wasn't worth the star's endorsement and accused OB of paying too much for his endorsement.
OB said despite the mixed reviews of his first Cass commercial, they sweated to re-hire him for the follow-up because, after all, he had stirred up a sensation.
"Ramsay was too busy to come to Seoul so we sent our team to Los Angeles in January to meet him and shoot the commercials there," Lee said.
While Cass's latest campaign commercial that cheers for the rookies of society has a good message, whether the public reviews in South Korea fraught with self-described liquor experts will be as handsome as Ramsay's worldly reception remains questionable.
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