Chapter: 66
Éclat Étoile.
It’s a company famous for women’s cosmetics.
Some people think it’s a French company, but in reality, it’s just a domestic brand based in Korea.
It’s a brand pushing for a luxury strategy… or it was, until recently.
“The contract period with Song Hee-bin is about to end, so we need to find a new advertisement model soon.”
The brand strategy team at Éclat Étoile had recently been suffering from headaches.
Cosmetic sales had plummeted lately due to the rise of emerging brands.
To be exact, they were falling behind compared to other cosmetic competitors.
The actress Song Hee-bin, who had been their advertising model for five years, was leaving after this contract ended.
‘I’m sure she’s already been approached by other cosmetics brands.’
In a currently airing drama, her popularity was skyrocketing.
It made sense she’d want a better-paying gig with a brand that had higher value.
“Ugh.”
Team Leader Jeong Tae-soo was pulling his hair out in frustration.
It was painfully obvious how far they were lagging behind other brands.
“Shouldn’t we also use a model who can boost our recognition?”
“The budget…”
“But if we choose a lesser-known celebrity, what’s the point?”
“True, but if we use a well-known celebrity and the results don’t pan out, we might have a hard time recouping the loss.”
It wasn’t just about the contract fee paid to the celebrity.
The real issue arose when bringing in a celebrity yielded lower-than-expected results, leading to decreased sales.
Currently, they were nearly hanging by a thread.
With the contract with Song Hee-bin off the table, they had to find a new ad model within a month.
“She seemed like she was going to renew, but this is why celebrities…”
Team Leader Jeong Tae-soo shouted in exasperation.
But what could he do?
It was their inability to present a better deal that had led to this situation.
“Um, Team Leader.”
“What is it, Deputy Park?”
“How about this girl?”
Deputy Park displayed a photo of a woman on his tablet.
It was Joo Su-yeon, who had gained attention as the grown-up Princess Yeonhwa from Past, Looking Back.
She had appeared on a cable broadcast as well.
“She’s definitely got a pretty face. But doesn’t Su-yeon lack the recognition to take on an ad?”
“Well, that’s true, but she could definitely skyrocket, right?”
“Oh, so you mean we should bet on her potential?”
“Yes, exactly!”
Seeing Deputy Park nod enthusiastically, Jeong Tae-soo let out a long sigh.
This felt like some children’s game, betting on a vague future.
“Deputy Park, it’s like betting on Princess Yeonhwa. Su-yeon hasn’t even properly emerged, and you know? This new movie she’s filming is a thriller.”
“Y-yeah, that’s true.”
“A female lead in a thriller? She’ll probably just be a supporting character. When’s the next project coming around? How do we raise her recognition? A child actor who disappeared for ten years? Just because she got a little popular in theater, using her for ads? Only the theater audience will see!”
“……”
Deputy Park deflated and returned to his seat.
Jeong Tae-soo thought perhaps he had been too harsh, but the truth was unavoidable.
In advertising, it’s all about image and recognition.
Su-yeon surely had stunning looks.
But that didn’t translate to ads.
No matter how luxurious the product is, how appealing it is to women matters more.
‘But I still need to submit the report.’
He had narrowed down a few candidates.
However, there had to be celebrities among them that the higher-ups would approve of to move forward.
‘Two idols, two actresses…’
All were celebrities with decent recognition.
Jeong Tae-soo was about to finalize five names for the report when he thought of the last name.
‘Well, there’s always room for Su-yeon.’
It wouldn’t hurt to slip her in as a wildcard.
She definitely didn’t have a bad face.
After all, she had some buzz recently, right?
Of course, Jeong Tae-soo didn’t think too deeply about it.
It was just to fill a spot, nothing more.
A week later.
“Yes, Joo Su-yeon?”
An executive from Éclat Étoile visited the brand strategy team.
A man with a robust stature said, beaming.
“Wow, Team Leader Jeong, you have a good eye. Yes, we’ll go with Joo Su-yeon for this advertisement model.”
“Huh??”
Why were they suddenly going with her?
He wanted to ask but then…
“The Sun Hidden by the Moon, Princess Yeonhwa! About ten years ago, I was really in a tough spot. But then, bam! A drama changed everything for me. Oh, did I mention? It was the summer ten years ago.”
Once the executive started, he went on for an entire hour without stopping.
Jeong Tae-soo had no idea that Executive Baek Min-chan had been a huge fan of that drama.
“But sir, Su-yeon’s recognition might be a bit low…?”
He cautiously interjected.
“Recognition, huh? You know it’s not always a must to use the hottest actors out there. Sometimes, it’s about betting on potential, right? You sign on early before the price goes up.”
“Excuse me?”
Here? Talking about betting on potential?
“Ahem. Well, I understand your hesitation. But you know I have a good sense for these things. That actress is a child star I believed would shine ten years ago. Just look at her comeback; it’s been dazzling. Within a year, her recognition will skyrocket.”
Jeong Tae-soo wanted to remind him that Su-yeon was still a high school actress and had ten counterarguments ready to spit out.
But Baek Min-chan had a keen intuition.
Better than just good eyes; when he got that feeling, it meant he sensed success was near.
After all, he wasn’t just some guy who had grown a business from a small one-bedroom to where it is today with the CEO.
“…Alright then.”
Whether he wanted to or not, Jeong Tae-soo wasn’t in a position to argue.
He was just a cog in the wheel.
Time passed again—two weeks later.
At Éclat Étoile.
“Hello! I’m Joo Su-yeon, a new actress from Nova Entertainment.”
Thanks to Executive Baek’s strong insistence, a new actress arrived.
*
“A cosmetics ad.”
Seoyeon pondered with a serious face.
Cosmetics were still a tricky subject for Seoyeon.
Not that she didn’t wear makeup, but…
Her immaculate TS skin meant she didn’t need much maintenance to keep her porcelain complexion.
Even the strong sunlight wouldn’t phase her defenses without sunscreen.
She was naturally pretty without makeup… but, of course, her mother, Min Sua, would never let that slide.
“At least let’s put on some basic makeup, my dear daughter.”
“…”
So she had started using BB cream and minimally using lipstick or eyeliner.
She wasn’t talented with her hands, so it wasn’t exceptional either.
Plus, she often had professional makeup artists doing her up anyway.
Makeup was something she just had to get used to as an actress.
“But for an ad…”
Getting a cosmetics ad was almost synonymous with status for female celebrities.
Agreeing to one or not was basically a matter of pride.
Even Lee Ji-yeon had done ad campaigns for BB cream.
Thinking of how she bragged about it…
“Oh my, Seoyeon! You got a cosmetics ad? Éclat Étoile? That’s a brand I even use! See, Mom has a good eye!”
Indeed, Min Sua used their products.
They were expensive, so she couldn’t use them often, but the lipstick’s pigment was apparently quite good.
Of course, this was all a bit distant for Seoyeon.
In the end, she had no choice but to accept the cosmetics ad.
It was a good opportunity, after all.
“Hello! I’m Joo Su-yeon, a new actress from Nova Entertainment.”
Thus, within Éclat Étoile’s gleaming office.
It was as one would expect from a luxury cosmetic brand; the place was incredibly shiny.
‘Seems like this company has some name value.’
But this company was interested in her?
Seoyeon felt slightly perplexed.
Even her manager, Park Eun-ha, seemed quite tense.
“I’m Jeong Tae-soo, Team Leader of the Brand Strategy Team. And…”
“I’m Baek Min-chan, an executive from Éclat Étoile.”
Even an executive was present.
Is it normal for an executive to attend?
Seoyeon had a bit of workplace experience, so she knew that higher-ups rarely attended such meetings.
In fact, it was rare for even a team leader to come.
Or is this how celebrity ad contracts usually go?
“Ahem, I’m just here to observe, so don’t mind me.”
Baek Min-chan said.
Then why was he even here?
Seoyeon was puzzled, but…
“You’re probably already aware, but we at Éclat Étoile would like to propose Su-yeon as our exclusive advertisement model for one year.”
“One year?”
“Yes. Of course, there’s a chance for extension later, and the contract can be renewed with better conditions.”
The first contract must be cautious.
Meaning this will set the baseline. While they could raise her pay, they couldn’t lower it anymore.
Seoyeon had no particular thoughts about this.
Considering her current recognition, she thought the contract fee wouldn’t be that high.
But then…
“4 billion won as the one-year model fee.”
Oh, 4 billion… wait, what?!
“4 billion?”
4 billion was a figure Seoyeon had only seen as game money before.
She had acted in dramas and received movie contracts before.
Even her movie contract was decent, at about 2 billion.
But 4 billion was double that amount!
Considering the filming complexity, it was shocking for her.
‘Honestly, I could manage to spend that kind of money.’
Jeong Tae-soo felt the pinch.
For an actress like Seoyeon, half of that amount would have sufficed.
But Baek Min-chan’s piercing eyes, full of desire, insisted that they needed to pay a B-grade actress at least that much.
Otherwise, she would quickly bolt for another brand once the contract ended.
Considering what happened with Song Hee-bin, it was understandable, but it still felt excessive.
“…What are the conditions?”
Seoyeon carefully scanned the contract.
She nodded, sensing no red flags.
Park Eun-ha beside her also nodded in agreement.
Rather good terms for her, really.
One might even wonder if there was some ulterior motive at play.
“I’ll take it.”
For 4 billion, how could she refuse?
The details about the cosmetics didn’t matter that much.
“When will the ad shoot begin?”
“I’ll inform you about the schedule; you just need to set the dates.”
Thanks to Manager Park Eun-ha’s clear communication, everything proceeded smoothly.
The ad negotiations and signing the contract would be fine after further examination, but essentially, it was all set.
“Oh, but I heard the movie you’re filming is a thriller. What role will you play?”
“Well… that’s confidential.”
“Ah, understood. I was just curious. Depending on the role, the ad’s image could shift.”
Finishing off the signing with a good mood, Seoyeon awkwardly smiled at Team Leader Jeong Tae-soo’s comment.
It was a newly added point mentioned in the movie contract, so she couldn’t reveal too much.
‘Now that I think about it, isn’t this a bit of a problem?’
She was playing a murderer.
Seoyeon took it lightly, but it could significantly impact her image as an actress.
Especially the more successful she became.
‘…Hmmm.’
Is this a big problem?
4 billion.
Seoyeon stared intensively at the contract.
She suddenly envisioned that 4 billion flying away into the sky.
There were several well-known cases of actors who got cut from ad campaigns due to their murder roles.
Seoyeon was now going for a cosmetics advertisement.
If that movie hits big, it’s a sure bet she’d get booted from the campaign.
‘Image, gotta fix the image.’
Seoyeon’s heart raced.
She had to find a role that could wash away the image of Cha Seo-ah before that 4 billion disappeared.
Coincidentally, there just happened to be one movie and one drama that could remedy that.
The catch? Those two projects were, by coincidence, related to individuals she had a connection with.
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