Rival, Samsung, may have won the war for Gen Y and Z cool for a moment this week, with a BTS live event collab, Apple has fought back brilliantly – also with Korean music culture.
Apple partnered with Korean American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur, Jay Park; and Korean webtoon artist, Namon, to show off what the iPad Pro can do by illustrating an entire webtoon-inspired music video for Park’s latest single, Bite.
The music video launches a new campaign series, Made on iPad, with TBWA\Media Arts Lab Seoul. The first international instalment is a trip – the webtoon music video is bright, edgy and psychedelic – and features a rapping kangaroo.
The campaign was born from the knowledge that the webtoon community is already using iPad to create music video-style pieces. Apple has amped up iPad’s cred by teaming Jay Park — one the biggest hip-hop musicians in Korea — with beloved artist, Namon, and leading Korean film director, Kyu Ha Kim, to take webtoon music videos to the next level. Jay Park is credited as one of the main figures responsible for the increased commercial acceptance and mainstream popularization of K-hip-hop in South Korea.
Namon is one of the most influential media for storytelling in South Korea, co-creator of fan-favourite webtoon, Jungnyunyi, that was awarded Webtoon of the Year in 2019. The iPad Pro opened up a new world of creativity for his webtoons. The video features Namon illustrating a digital comic using Mental Canvas, an iPad app that turns 2D drawings into 3D webtoon images.
The video begins with the song’s first hook, “Take a bite I wanna take a bite,” and takes the viewer on a fantastical journey through Jay Park’s world. Park’s tattoos — a compass, a heart, a lion, and stars — are used as storyline motifs that represent the artist overcoming hardships and celebrating successful milestones, and his love for music.
Bite will appear in digital and social media. It will be accompanied by 15- and 30‑second cuts of a behind-the-scenes film, which shows the iPad at work. Apple will also use the full spectrum of its organic media, from releasing Bite and the music video on Apple Music, to providing inside stories about the campaign and useful tips on the App Store and Today at Apple sessions at the Apple Store.
Credits
Client: Apple
Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab Seoul
Music: Bite by Jay Park
Illustration: Namon
Production: PlanIt Production
Director: Kyu Ha Kim
