Thursday, 25 October 2007

Thumbs Up!

I've noticed a trend with trade characters for businesses and restuarants in Seoul. They love to give the thumbs up!

This is a kimbab giving a thumbs up for Kimbobnara.

This characterization of kimchi is great! It's giving the thumbs up for a place called Kinchi Cook.

I think this is an unlicensed use of Mu Yong Hae, a salary man in a popular newspaper comic series called Mu Daeri. He's giving a thumbs up for a place called Sports Seoul, which is also the name of a newspaper.

This puppy is giving a thumbs up and a wink for Pet Drug House. The wink is also a common expression.


Ha ha, even grandma's part of the thumbs up club!

This poor goofy chicken of Apgujeong Dalkkochi doesn't even have any thumbs! I think it's trying to give a thumbs up so it can be like all the other trade characters. But it looks like it's giving a thumbs down. Or is it pointing?

Pointing is another common gesture these trade characters use. This ant is pointing up from the side of a Sein Design truck.

This sprite is pointing off into the horizon on a PC bang (internet room) sign.

I've got more trade characters that I'll post about on another day. Enjoy!

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10 comments:

  1. Old Korean-Irish Nugget10/26/2007 1:05 am

    I think winks are a relatively new thing there.

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  2. Unknown10/26/2007 4:30 am

    That is very interesting... and funny too! I think the pointing looks awkward in the second to last picture. It almost seems like the picture would have made sense without that extra hand added in there.

    This makes me wonder about USA's product logos and characters. From what I can recall, USA's characters don't do anything like thumbs up or wink, but just stand there looking cool. One exception is Tony the Tiger, who points up.

    Very interesting blog. Thanks Midodok!

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  3. Midodok10/26/2007 10:59 am

    Danny and Joseph, thanks for stopping by.

    Yeah, I guess that ant hand in the Sein Design character is kind of out of place. I think the reason these characters point, do a thumbs up, or wink (or both eyes closed like the grandma) is so that they aren't just doing nothing.

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  4. mom10/27/2007 2:04 am

    Great collection of shots. Amazing!

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  5. darrenusc10/29/2007 1:37 pm

    Thumbs up to you! Keep up the interesting observations.

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  6. Midodok10/29/2007 3:35 pm

    Thanks Darren and "mom". I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  7. Anonymous11/01/2007 2:57 am

    In India, there's a cola called Thumbs Up. Tastes kinda like watered down Pepsi. And if you drink enough of it, maybe it'll start winking at you.

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  8. Midodok11/01/2007 2:11 pm

    Hey, I read about "Thumbs Up" cola in India. Apparently it's a cola marketed as a man's drink.

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  9. Anonymous11/03/2007 12:42 am

    I totally agree with your opinion about the Apgujeong Dalkkochi.

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  10. Anonymous11/16/2007 5:53 pm

    Hmmm... I never realized THAT MANY trade characters do THUMBS UP until now! Very interesting.

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