Éclat Étoile.
A company famous for women's cosmetics.
Some believed it to be a French company, but it was actually a domestic brand with its headquarters in Korea.
It was a brand pushing a premium strategy... or so it was.
"Song Huibin's contract period is coming to an end soon, so we'll need to find a new advertising model."
The brand business strategy team of Éclat Étoile had been suffering from headaches lately.
This was because recent sales of their cosmetics had dropped significantly due to the surge of emerging brands.
More precisely, they were losing ground in competition with other cosmetics.
Song Huibin, the actress who had been their advertising model for five years, was also leaving after this contract.
'She must have received offers from other cosmetics brands.'
Song Huibin's name value had risen significantly after gaining great popularity in the recently airing Monday-Tuesday drama.
So naturally, she would want to accept advertisements from brands offering more money and higher brand value.
"Ugh."
Jung Taesu, the team leader of the business strategy team, had a headache.
It was to the point where he could visibly see them falling behind other brands.
"Shouldn't we also use an advertising model who can raise our brand awareness?"
"The budget..."
"But using a celebrity with low awareness defeats the purpose."
"That's true, but if we use a celebrity with high awareness and don't get proportional results, it could be difficult to cover the losses."
The issue wasn't simply the contract fee paid to the celebrity.
The problem was the loss incurred when the brought-in celebrity failed to produce expected results, leading to decreased sales.
Even now, they were honestly in a precarious situation.
With the contract with Song Huibin falling through, they had to find a new advertising model within a month.
"She acted like she would renew, honestly, this is why celebrities...!"
Team Leader Jung Taesu shouted in frustration.
But what could he do?
They were the ones who couldn't offer better contract terms.
"Um, Team Leader."
"Yes, Assistant Manager Park."
"How about this person?"
When Assistant Manager Park showed the screen reflected on his tablet, the appearance of a woman from
Joo Seoyeon, the star who instantly gathered huge buzz as the grown-up Princess Yeonhwa.
She had also reportedly appeared on some cable broadcast.
"Her face is certainly good. But doesn't Joo Seoyeon lack the awareness to be an advertising model?"
"That's right. But, wouldn't she definitely rise?"
"Ah, so you mean. Bet on the future and buy at the bottom?"
"Yes, yes. That's exactly it."
Seeing Assistant Manager Park nodding, Jung Taesu let out a sigh.
This wasn't some child's play, betting on a vague future.
"Assistant Manager Park. Princess Yeonhwa was ages ago. Actor Joo Seoyeon hasn't even properly come out with anything yet, and you know, right? Even the movie she's filming this time is a thriller."
"T-that's true."
"A female actress in a thriller movie. It's obvious she'll be a supporting role. When will she get her next project? When will she build awareness? Who would watch an advertisement with a child actor who was missing for 10 years, who only had a bit of fame in theater? Theater audiences?"
"......"
Assistant Manager Park became sullen and returned to his seat.
Jung Taesu felt he might have been a bit too harsh, but it couldn't be helped.
Advertising was ultimately about image and awareness.
It was true that the actor named Joo Seoyeon possessed an incredible appearance.
But that was different from advertising.
Appearance could always be made to shine beautifully through retouching.
But not awareness.
How luxurious this cosmetic was, and how much it appealed to women was what mattered.
'But I still need to submit the report.'
He had narrowed down a few candidates for now.
But among them, the higher-ups needed to find a celebrity they liked in order to proceed with the work.
'Two idols, two actresses...'
They were all celebrities with decent name value.
Jung Taesu, who was planning to select about five and submit his report, agonized over the remaining one.
'Well, okay. Joo Seoyeon.'
It wouldn't hurt to include one as a filler.
It wasn't a strange face to include, relatively speaking.
She did have some recent buzz, right?
Of course, Team Leader Jung Taesu didn't think deeply about it.
It was strictly seat-filling, nothing more and nothing less.
One week later like that.
"Yes, Joo Seoyeon?"
The director of Éclat Étoile who visited the business strategy team.
A man with a massive physique said with a pleased smile.
"Wow, Team Leader Jung has an eye for this. Yes, for this advertising model. Let's go with Joo Seoyeon."
"Yes??"
Wait, but why?
He was about to ask that, but.
"Princess Yeonhwa of Taesumdal! I really, 10 years ago you know. I was going through a really tough time, and with just one drama, huh? I completely gathered my spirits. Ah, did I talk about this? To be exact, it was 10 years ago, it was summer."
Starting from there, the director's words continued for a full hour.
Jung Taesu hadn't known.
The fact that Éclat Étoile's Director Baek Minchan was a huge fan of the Taesumdal drama.
"Uh, but Director. Actor Joo Seoyeon, her, awareness might be a bit... low, wouldn't it?"
When he carefully brought it up.
"Ah, awareness! You know too. It's not always about using a brand that's booming and Pak! an actress who's skyrocketing. Sometimes, what is it. You know buying at the bottom? When they're still cheap, Pak! sign them and lock them in."
"Pardon?"
Wait, buying at the bottom here?
"Ahem. Anyway, it might seem unreliable. But you know, I have a good instinct. That actress is a child actor I saw 10 years ago and definitely thought would make it big. Plus, how splendidly she returned. It's definitely certain. Within a year, her name value will go up tremendously."
At the director's words, Jung Taesu came up with about ten things he could refute, like how Joo Seoyeon was still a high school student actress.
But Baek Minchan had good instincts.
Rather than having a good eye for people, when he stepped forward like this, it meant his so-called 'instinct for success' sharply flared up. Wasn't he the man who had grown a business that started from a small single room 10 years ago together with the CEO to this point?
"......I understand."
Anyway, that was that. Honestly, Jung Taesu was quite dubious.
But when the higher-ups say do it, you do it.
Ultimately, he was just one employee.
Two more weeks passed like that.
Éclat Étoile, inside the company.
"Hello, I'm rookie actor Joo Seoyeon from Nova Entertainment."
Thanks to Director Baek's strong insistence, one female actress had visited.
***
'A cosmetics advertisement.'
Seoyeon agonized with a serious face.
Cosmetics were still a difficult product for Seoyeon.
So did Seoyeon not wear makeup? That wasn't the case either.
Her invincible TS skin maintained her porcelain-like complexion even without special care.
She possessed defense that could withstand the intense sunlight even without applying sunscreen.
She was pretty even without necessarily wearing makeup... but naturally, her mother Sua wouldn't just stand by and watch that.
"Let's at least do basic makeup, our daughter."
"......"
And so she could apply BB cream to some extent, and could draw lipstick and eyeliner at a minimum level.
She wasn't good at it due to lacking dexterity, though.
Besides, even if Seoyeon didn't dress up, there were plenty of times when professional makeup artists dressed her up anyway.
For an actor, makeup was something they inevitably had to become familiar with.
'But an advertisement is...'
A cosmetics advertisement was virtually a symbol of being a woman.
Whether to accept it or not was like pride for female celebrities.
Even that Lee Jiyeon had at least done a BB cream advertisement.
Thinking about how much she bragged about it back then...
"Oh my, Seoyeon! You got a cosmetics ad? If it's Éclat Étoile, it's a brand even Mom uses. Look, Mom's eye for things!"
Sua actually used that brand's cosmetics.
She couldn't use it often because it was expensive, but she said the lipstick had good color payoff so she used it frequently.
Of course, that was a somewhat distant story for Seoyeon.
And so, she inevitably had to accept the cosmetics advertisement.
It was also a good opportunity, to be honest.
"Hello, I'm rookie actor Joo Seoyeon from Nova Entertainment."
Thus, inside the Éclat Étoile company.
True to a brand that prided itself on being a luxury cosmetics line, the company was quite flashy.
'It seems like a company with name value too.'
They wanted her in a company like this?
Seoyeon honestly felt a bit puzzled.
Even Manager Park Eunha beside her seemed nervous.
"I'm Team Leader Jung Taesu of the Business Strategy Team. And..."
"I'm Director Baek Minchan of Éclat Étoile."
Even a director had come out to the seat.
Did directors normally come out?
Seoyeon had experience with company life in her previous life.
Higher-ups, as always, typically didn't make the effort to attend such occasions.
Even a team leader-level person coming out was exceptional.
Or was celebrity advertising contract always like this?
"Ahem, I'm just here to observe, so you don't need to pay too much attention to me."
Director Baek Minchan said so.
Then why did he come out?
Such a question arose, but.
"First, I believe you've already heard some of the talk. We at Éclat Étoile would like to propose actor Joo Seoyeon as our exclusive advertising model for 1 year."
"One year?"
"Yes, of course, it could be extended further afterward and the contract could be additionally renewed. Naturally, the conditions will unconditionally go up."
The first contract couldn't help but be cautious.
In a sense, it set the standard. You could raise the pay from here, but you couldn't lower it.
Seoyeon didn't think much about that.
Considering her own awareness, she was certain the contract fee wouldn't be that high.
However.
"400 million won for a 1-year exclusive model fee."
I see, 400 million. ...Huh?
"400 million, you say?"
400 million was a figure Seoyeon had only ever seen as game money in her life.
Seoyeon, who had even filmed dramas and received movie contract fees.
The movie contract fee was also around 200 million won at a B-list actor level.
But 400 million was twice that.
Even considering the filming difficulty, it was an appalling level from Seoyeon's perspective.
'Honestly, they could use her for half of this.'
Jung Taesu was honestly pained.
For an actor of Seoyeon's level, giving about half would be sufficient.
But Director Baek Minchan, who was sitting beside him with bright eyes, had strongly insisted.
That they absolutely had to give her at least B-list level or above.
That way, even after the contract period ended, she wouldn't easily go elsewhere.
With the Song Huibin situation as well, that must have been his reasoning, but it still felt like too much.
"......How are the conditions?"
Seoyeon, who carefully read the contract, nodded.
It didn't feel like there were any toxic clauses.
Manager Park Eunha beside her also nodded.
Rather, it was an excessively good condition for Seoyeon.
It made her wonder if they had some ulterior motive.
"I'll do it."
With 400 million won, she had to.
Cosmetics this and that, what did that matter?
"When does the advertisement filming start...?"
"I'll deliver the schedule, so you just need to set the dates."
With Manager Park Eunha's words, things proceeded smoothly.
The advertisement negotiations and signing the contract were decided to be done after further review, but it was virtually confirmed.
"Ah, but I heard the movie you're appearing in this time is a thriller, what kind of role is it?"
"That's... confidential."
"Ah, I understand. I was curious, what a shame. As you know, the image of the advertisement changes depending on what role you appear in."
Seoyeon, who had finished signing with a good feeling, smiled awkwardly at Team Leader Jung Taesu's words.
It was also a newly specified part in the movie contract, so she couldn't disclose it.
'Come to think of it, isn't this a problem?'
The role of a murderer.
Seoyeon didn't think much of it, but this had a huge impact on an actor's image.
Even the better she did, the bigger the impact.
'...Hmm.'
Hasn't this become a big problem?
400 million won.
Seoyeon stared blankly at the contract.
Suddenly, she could see the 400 million won flying away into the sky.
It was a quite famous story that an actor who took on a murderer role was dropped from advertising models because of that image.
Seoyeon was even doing a cosmetics advertisement.
If the movie became a hit, she would definitely be dropped a hundred percent.
'I have to improve my image, my image.'
Seoyeon became anxious.
Before the 400 million could fly away, she had to find a role that could neutralize the image of Chah Seo-ah.
And coincidentally.
There happened to be one movie and one drama that could resolve that.
The problem was that those two works.
Were related to two people who had connections to Seoyeon.