Episode 28: Battle of the Professionals
While listening to the presentations of some groups, Han Jungpil started to feel a bit bored.
The students’ efforts in creating plausible works were good, but they were slightly lacking in some aspects.
Originality is important, but in design, completion is even more important.
Works that are lacking, amateurish works, can never be used in the market.
It’s not that they make common CFs or displays with celebrities for no reason.
That’s the safest way to ensure they sell well without any shortcomings.
“Next group, please.”
At Han Jungpil’s words, Shin Taemin moved the pedestal with the product on it.
It was a piece that fully utilized a width of 1 meter and a height of 2 meters.
Kang Lim was startled when he saw the background billboard set up behind it.
‘Crazy. Isn’t that an LED? How much must that cost?’
While Kang Lim was surprised, Son Chaewon came forward to present the project.
‘Who is she? Was there someone like her…?’
It wasn’t just Kang Lim who was surprised.
“Wow… Is that Chaewon unnie? I thought it was a game avatar. Her makeup is super funky.”
“I thought she was a foreigner.”
Lee Hyunseong was also so surprised that his eyes seemed to pop out as he patted Kang Lim repeatedly.
“Hey. Didn’t that noona’s eyes look elongated sideways? They look huge now.”
“Makeup can dramatically change eyes like that.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
The showmanship made it impossible not to focus on the presentation.
It felt more like a corporate presentation than a school project.
There was absolutely no sign of deficiency.
The display looked good enough to be installed immediately.
“Hello. Our group created a display for the new line of color cosmetics launched by Corial Fresh. Interestingly, the brand emphasized personal color this time. They released various eyeshadow palettes and lipstick palettes that allow you to choose colors that suit you best.”
Brightness, which determines the light and dark aspects of a color.
Saturation, which determines the dullness and clarity of a color.
The students admired the color wheel that displayed these two elements in order.
“Wow, so that’s why they stacked various colored cubes like that at the bottom.”
“The pedestal they made is really pretty.”
Son Chaewon smiled slightly and continued.
“Personal color is actually divided into spring, summer, autumn, and winter tones that suit individuals best. As you may know, spring and autumn represent warm tones, while summer and winter represent cool tones.
We used colors representing each season to stack the cubes. At the top, we placed the product at an angle.”
A student who was fascinated by the display asked a question.
“But why is the background so black? Did you make it simple on purpose because the product display is so flashy?”
“No, that’s a TV. The LED screen shows actual cases of using the makeup products.”
“What? No way?”
“Personal color primarily helps find colors that suit an individual. But instead of limiting myself to that, I chose the concept of meeting a different version of oneself every day by using various colors. Just like how I surprised you all with my look today.”
As soon as Son Chaewon finished speaking, she turned on the TV.
When the previously dark screen lit up with clear and vivid images, exclamations erupted from all around.
“Whoa!”
“What? Isn’t that Seoyeon?”
“She’s stunning. She was always pretty, but this is insane.”
In a velvet dress that slightly revealed one shoulder.
The students’ eyes followed Seoyeon’s elegantly glowing skin.
Seoyeon, who wore makeup much darker than usual, had her eyes lowered seductively.
Students’ mouths dropped open, following her slightly parted lips.
Of course, Kang Lim was no exception.
“Wow. She looks amazing. Like a chaebol heiress.”
“What, what?”
All the students, including Kang Lim, were focused on Seoyeon. Embarrassed, Seoyeon hid behind Kang Lim’s back.
Seeing the shy Seoyeon, Kang Lim threw a joke over his shoulder.
“I thought you were a real actress. You nailed the pose.”
“I felt like dying while doing that. It was so awkward…”
“Like the Blue Dragon Film Awards.”
“Stop it!”
Hearing Seoyeon’s embarrassed voice, Son Chaewon laughed for a moment before speaking again.
“Seoyeon is actually a Summer Muted type that suits grayish pastel tones well. People with muted tones often have slightly lighter hair or eye colors than others, and Seoyeon is like that. The colors that suit her best are soft and calm tones.
But when you apply a very vivid red lip to such a face, it clashes with her natural colors, giving her a completely different image. It creates a visual shock effect. She usually has an innocent image, but now she looks very chic and cynical. Let’s compare.”
When Son Chaewon pressed the button again, Seoyeon’s face changed.
This time, it was a completely different atmosphere.
Pure and clear.
“Wow. She looks like a different person. She seems transparent.”
“But this is also pretty.”
Watching the students marvel, Han Jungpil smiled.
Son Chaewon was a student who knew exactly how to highlight the product.
In actual TV dramas, PPL ads often utilize products in such ways.
For example, by intentionally applying a lipstick color that doesn’t match a top star, making the lip color stand out.
Wouldn’t that get criticized?
No. Because of their beauty, people don’t realize it doesn’t match.
Instead, the striking color creates a shock effect, leading to inquiries about the lipstick and a surge in sales.
“Interesting, isn’t it? But that’s not all.”
Son Chaewon switched the screen once more.
As soon as Shin Taemin’s face appeared, the students screamed.
In contrast, Shin Taemin had no change in expression, unlike Seoyeon.
“Wow!”
“So handsome.”
“This group is really a visual team. They go perfectly with the product.”
Son Chaewon alternated between showing two photos of Shin Taemin: one looking a bit sickly and the other looking cold and sharp.
“Taemin suits colors with much higher brightness and saturation compared to Seoyeon. He’s a Winter Bright type. These colors give a strong yet cold impression. But if we reverse Taemin’s personal color by applying a soft pastel tone, it creates a very languid and sickly image.”
Listening to the presentation, Lee Hyunseong asked Kang Lim.
“But why do people like the sickly look… Should I try it too?”
Kang Lim shook his head as he answered.
“They like good-looking people, you idiot.”
“Sigh. Anyway, it’s impressive. I thought they would just use personal colors that suit them, but they created a reverse effect.”
With Lee Hyunseong’s sigh, the classroom was filled with praises for Son Chaewon.
‘This was the best presentation today.’ ‘How can anyone beat this?’ ‘They will definitely win the contest.’
Even the professor joined in the praises.
“Well done. It’s almost like a Corial Fresh designer directly created the product display. The makeup skills are also excellent, making it market-ready. The use of various colors for the display is impressive.”
Son Chaewon repeatedly expressed her gratitude, moved by Han Jungpil’s compliments.
It made sense, as Han Jungpil was a role model professor to the design students.
“Alright, next group, please.”
Lee Hyunseong looked at Kang Lim with a slightly regretful expression.
“It’s a bit unfortunate to go after Son Chaewon noona.”
However, Yoon Jangmi, without any change in expression, placed her hand on Kang Lim’s shoulder and whispered softly.
“No, you’re the best.”
Kang Lim smiled and carried his work forward.
He thought it was better to reclaim the attention that had been completely taken away, rather than going first and losing it.
‘What… Why is it so quiet?’
As he came forward for his presentation, Kang Lim was a bit flustered.
The students were much quieter than he had expected.
He thought everyone would be distracted because of Son Chaewon, but that wasn’t the case.
The students were simply staring intently at the display covered with a black cloth.
‘What is this? It’s easier to draw attention than I thought.’
As soon as Kang Lim came out, it suddenly became quiet.
It made sense because he had always exceeded expectations with his works… Everyone thought that if it were Kang Lim, he might be able to trump Son Chaewon’s work.
This was the image they had of Kang Lim.
What could be under that covered display?
Seeing the students’ sparkling eyes, Kang Lim started his presentation.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the intense stares, he cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Our group displayed Corial Fresh’s basic skincare products, focusing on moisturizing.”
As he casually pulled off the black cloth.
The students quietly covered their mouths.
“What the… Unbelievable. That’s amazing.”
“Whoa, seriously. This is so cool.”
They had created a three-tiered pedestal shaped like the lush, soft petals of Lisianthus.
Various colorful flowers were piled on the tiers according to their heights.
Petals, stamens, pistils, stems…
All swayed delicately, each exuding its own fragrance.
The detailed work looked so smooth and moist that it seemed touchable.
It felt like you might sneeze from the pollen.
How did they make that?
The students couldn’t believe it even with their own eyes.
Han Jungpil was no exception.
The skill level in sculptural arts was self-explanatory.
After observing everyone’s reactions for a moment, Kang Lim began to speak.
“Interestingly, this skincare product was created with a focus on fragrance. Usually, people think fragrances are bad for the skin because of added chemicals, but this product aims to break that stereotype. It offers a good scent and good ingredients.
So, to match the product’s intention, we placed butterflies and bees only where the product is located to express natural and healthy scents.”
Only then did the students notice the large swallowtail butterfly fluttering around.
Amidst the colorful and warm-toned flowers, the butterfly alone shone with its mysterious indigo wings.
The butterfly flew and hovered around the skincare product package at the very top.
Its front wings covered in scales and the crescent-shaped patterns on its hind wings.
All were as beautiful as a tapestry.
‘Did they really make that? It looks like a real preserved butterfly. No, that’s not the point. The point is they expressed a natural scent so well that even a butterfly could be fooled.’
Han Jungpil admired the pure sculptural ability but was more amazed by how clearly they conveyed the product’s intention. While Son Chaewon’s work was a bit obvious, this had a fresh and innovative touch.
“And these flowers aren’t just placed randomly. We aligned their positions in accordance with the fragrance levels of the newly launched perfume. As you know, perfumes have three levels of scent that change over time. These are called top notes, middle notes, and base notes.
We visualized the colors associated with these three scents and placed flowers that best matched these images in sequence. We expressed different scents using colors.”
As soon as Kang Lim finished speaking, the students became restless.
It was a fun piece that revealed hidden intentions with each layer peeled back.
“Whoa. So that’s why the pedestal is divided into three tiers.”
“The idea is amazing.”
Han Jungpil agreed with the students’ opinions.
This was a literal visualization of the product itself.
‘Showing scents through colors… That’s really sensory. No wonder the colors are diverse yet harmonious. They didn’t just buy any flowers. Moreover, this color-based approach can also boost the sales effect of the color products presented earlier. Really smart.’
Han Jungpil nodded as he appreciated the work.
“Truly excellent. You’ve shown exactly what product display should be. You visually expressed the product’s function, expected effects, and intention… all without missing a beat. This could be used in a store right now. Good job.”
However, Kang Lim tilted his head at the professor’s praise.
“Oh. There’s still one more important thing.”
What? There’s still more to this?
Han Jungpil adjusted his half-rim glasses, trying to hide his surprise.
