Marketing mishap reveals deeper issues

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Koreans have waited 16 long years for a savory, crispy bite that would satisfy their taste buds and right an infamous wrong. This week, they finally could fill a bowl with the cereal they wanted all along: green onion-flavoured Chex.

Kellogg’s Korea’s limited-edition flavour released this week, complete with a catchy ad and an apology for the wait, has taken on surprising cultural significance for an odd culinary experiment.

In 2004, the company advertised a public vote for a new product: chocolate-flavoured Cheki or green onion-flavoured Chaka.

Chaka led by an overwhelming margin, but duplicates were said to mar the online vote and Cheki was declared the winner.

Many South Koreans saw the outcome as more than a marketing mishap.

“It’s kind of representative of bigger issues in South Korean society,” said Raphael Rashid, a Seoul-based freelance journalist who writes about South Korean politics and culture. “South Koreans are used to or have experienced, you know, like years, if not decades, of dictatorship.”

The chocolate victory was “kind of reminiscent” of that, he said.

It brought to the surface long-buried memories for Yoon Gunhee, who voted in the infamous election.

Yoon said she was amused this week by the light-hearted commercial for green onion Chex — featuring a popular South Korean singer declaring, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry that the green onion flavour arrived so late” and “the promise must be kept,” with scientists in white gowns in a laboratory labouring to develop the perfect flavour. The video has racked up over 900,000 views on YouTube.