SUB CATEGORY :

USE OF EVENTS

ENTRANT COMPANY :

OVERMAN, SEOUL

TITLE :

UNEARTH 22C - A PREVIEW OF FUTURE RELICS

BRAND :

FROSCH

ADVERTISER :

JNB CORPORATION

AGENCY :

OVERMAN, SEOUL

CHAIRMAN :

SEUNG-EUN JANG

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

SEUNG-EUN JANG

ART DIRECTOR :

JI-SOO LEE/YOUNGJU JIN/ROSA CHOI/HWANG SUIL

COPYWRITER :

JI-SU YUN

AGENCY PRODUCER :

DONG-MIN KIM

PHOTOGRAPHER :

MJ KIM

EDITOR :

SIMON JANG

CURATOR :

JUNG-EUN LEE/EUN-HAK KIM

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE :

YU-MI SEOL/SO-YOUNG JIN/CHAN-MI AHN/
HO-GWAN LEE/SEUNG-HYUN KO

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

STUDIO JOKER, SEOUL

DIRECTOR :

ELL KIM/CHAN-WOONG PARK

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY :

SIN-UK PARK

GAFFER :

SU-HYUN BAE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :

SO-YOUNG PARK

COLORIST :

MIN-SEOP SIM

FLAME ARTIST :

JI-MAN HONG

SOUND ENGINEER :

WON-WOO LEE

CAMPAIGN SUMMARY :

Frosch, a German eco-friendly detergent brand newly launched in Korea, faced a significant challenge when the Korean Ministry of Environment banned eco-related terms such as "green," "earth," and "environment" from TV ads due to the growing greenwashing issue. Despite being 100% biodegradable with eco-friendly packaging, spouts, adhesives, and ink, Frosch struggled to communicate its true eco-identity.
Meanwhile, the intensifying climate crisis prompted widespread warnings that without immediate action, the Earth could become uninhabitable. In response, Frosch conceived a brand activism campaign to reignite environmental awareness among a desensitized public. The solution was "Unearth 22C", a time-slip exhibition, using satire to portray trash as 22nd-century relics, blending offline and online omnichannel experiences.
The exhibition, featuring works by renowned photographers and actual waste relics, was meticulously curated like a natural history museum’s special exhibit. Legendary actress Kim Hye-ja’s audio docent narration further amplified its impact. The exhibition became the most-attended photography show in Korean history, sparking a national conversation. The public, once indifferent to the overwhelming number of green campaigns, began to rethink their daily use of single-use plastics, eventually pushing for policy changes.
Despite a modest budget, the campaign garnered tremendous free PR, with coverage in major news outlets. Frosch cleverly overcame regulatory hurdles, solidified its eco-leadership, and grew its brand presence, climbing to 4th in TOM rankings, marking a remarkable achievement.

CREATIVITY/IDEA/INSIGHT :

Born from a provocative insight: while today’s excavations reveal treasures like pottery and jewelry, future generations might unearth only waste. To visualize this, Frosch created the "Unearth 22C" exhibition, showcasing hypothetical trash relics. This idea was designed to resonate deeply with the audience, breaking through the environmental fatigue caused by over 5,000 green campaigns. By combining shocking visuals with compelling storytelling, the exhibition aimed to provoke reflection on current consumer habits and the long-term impact of waste.
Using satire and art, Frosch captured the audience's attention in a fresh, unexpected way, blending emotional and intellectual engagement. The innovative approach amplified the message of sustainability, urging the public to reconsider their daily behaviors and rethink the future of our planet. This campaign leveraged humor to tackle serious environmental issues, challenging apathy and reigniting conversations around sustainability. Through this creative approach, Frosch not only engaged the public but also established its eco-identity as a challenger brand in the Korean market.

STRATEGY :

Frosch, a German eco-friendly detergent brand newly launched in the Korean market, faced a major hurdle when the Korean Ministry of Environment banned terms like "green," "earth," and "environment" in advertising due to the growing issue of greenwashing. Despite being 100% biodegradable, with eco-friendly packaging, spouts, adhesives, and ink, Frosch struggled to communicate its true eco-identity. As experts warned of the impending environmental crisis, Frosch devised a public-interest brand experience aimed at reigniting environmental awareness among a desensitized public. This strategy sought to reveal Frosch’s eco-friendly identity, which had been restricted in TV ads, and establish its presence as a new challenger brand. With a modest budget of approximately 300 million KRW, Frosch recognized that maximizing free PR and creating a buzzworthy idea was the only way to break through.

EXECUTION :

The exhibition featured visuals by renowned photographer MJ Kim—Paul McCartney’s official lens—and docent narration by legendary actress Kim Hye-ja, resonating deeply with the Korean public. The entrance, designed as a scaffold, offered an immersive experience, transporting visitors into a relic excavation site. The center recreated a dig site with actual waste relics, displayed like museum artifacts. Frames were minimized, and most pieces were shown in scroll form to reduce plastic waste. Scanning the exhibition’s QR code led to an online site where visitors could listen to audio guides for 38 pieces, satirizing humanity’s selfishness and excesses. The key visual graphic drew inspiration from relic specimen collections. Through the Instagram account Dr. Frosch, a sub-content series of an archaeologist’s excavation diary from the 22nd century was developed, driving social engagement and campaign synergy.
All of this was achieved on a remarkably lean budget of $230K, proving that impactful campaigns don’t need massive resources, just bold ideas.

RESULT :

The exhibition became the MOST- ATTENDED photography show in Korea, attracting 250K visitors in just one month, a remarkable achievement given the short duration and Korea’s population size. The success led to overwhelming demand, prompting an encore exhibition at Suwon City’s Museum of Art in January 2025. Discussions for another in Seoul are underway. Featured in all major Korean news outlets, the exhibition generated 22M media impressions, with 19 organic media features, and over $1.5M in free PR value. Frosch solidified its eco-leadership, increasing TOM by 8.5%, reaching 4th place.
More importantly, the exhibition sparked a national conversation on reducing single-use plastics, urging the public to reflect on their daily habits and push for policy changes. This shift may help delay the irreversible environmental damage we face.