K-Drama Day - Rakuten Viki | Clapboard Ad Archive

Rakuten Viki’s K-Drama Day campaign for 2025, conceived by Unfold Agency and activated in both South Korea and the United States, is a strategically high-profile pivot that leverages star talent and a cross-cultural narrative to position Viki at the forefront of the global Asian entertainment streaming sector. The campaign’s central creative idea sees Will Poulter and Alicia Hannah-Kim touring Victoria Justice — a newcomer to K-dramas — through a curated journey of Viki’s most beloved Korean titles, among them Lovely Runner, Study Group, Train to Busan, The First Night with the Duke, and Reborn Rich, thereby dramatizing the discovery and infectious fandom intrinsic to the K-drama phenomenon. This approach is unmistakably what Clapboard’s taxonomy designates as FORMAT#8—Ongoing Characters or Celebrities: the recognized personalities are deployed not as passive endorsers but as active guides and taste-makers, giving the campaign both authenticity and immediate recall with its target market of digitally native, entertainment-savvy viewers. Set against broader market competition from Netflix, Viu, Apple TV+, iQIYI, and Kocowa, all of whom carve distinctive positions in the Asian drama streaming wars, Viki’s proposition is to serve as both entry point and community hub — a message embedded in the campaign’s tightly orchestrated mix of talent-driven storytelling and community celebration. Beyond the launch spot, the multilayered rollout leverages exclusive, celebrity-curated watchlists and a generous package of prizes and premium access offers, using scarcity and specialness to heighten FOMO and deepen trial. The marketing spine of the activation is a wide digital and CTV footprint, with engagement touchpoints spanning talent interviews, social amplification, and time-limited free access to a portfolio of flagship dramas, enriching participation for both core fans and new entrants. With incentives ranging from signed Polaroid photos of K-drama stars to streaming devices and Viki-branded collectibles, the campaign focuses not merely on tune-in but on galvanizing a sense of shared, global fandom, aligning with Viki’s mission to accelerate mainstream embrace of K-drama storytelling. Unfold Agency’s creative interpretation keeps the focus squarely on human connection and approachable enthusiasm, mirroring the grassroots word-of-mouth that has propelled Korean drama to its current pop-cultural altitude. The campaign earns 63/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. What sets this campaign apart is its demonstration that full-scale celebrity ambassadorship can meaningfully localize global content platforms when it serves as both cultural translator and fan community catalyst.