SK Inc. wins top prize from KJD for 'sustainable happiness' advert

SK Inc. took the top prize at the annual advertisement awards, hosted by the Korea JoongAng Daily, for its campaign on sustainable happiness based on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) values.

Participants of the 59th JoongAng Advertising Awards pose for a photo at the Westin Josun Seoul in central Seoul on Tuesday. Park Chang-hee, CEO and publisher of the JoongAng Ilbo, sixth from left in the front row, Professor Lee Myoung-chun from Chung-Ang University's Department of Advertising and Public Relations who headed the judge panel, seventh from left in the front row, and Cheong Chul-gun, CEO of the Korea JoongAng Daily, far left in the front row, pose with the awardees including Kim Jin-young, chief public relation officer, at the KB Financial Group, second from right in the front row, and Kim Bum-su, director general of planning & coordination bureau at the IFEZ, third from right in the front row. [PARK SANG-MOON]

SK Inc. took the top prize at the annual advertisement awards, from the Korea JoongAng Daily (KJD), for its campaign on sustainable happiness based on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) values.

The award ceremony was part of the JoongAng Advertising Awards which reached its 59th edition this year. The event selects the best print ads published in the Korea JoongAng Daily, JoongAng Ilbo and JoongAng Sunday.

The results are based on assessments from a panel of five judges headed by Professor Lee Myoung-chun from Chung-Ang University's Department of Advertising and Public Relations alongside a survey with more than 1,000 readers through both online and mobile platforms.

A total of 19 awards were given out by the three publications on Tuesday.

SK Inc.'s advertisement which won the top grand prize from the Korea JoongAng Daily features a young girl — a symbol of future generations — with wide-open arms and a smiling face, sitting on a boat signifying that a voyage toward the future has begun.

"SK Inc. has delivered various aspects of 'happiness' to our society for more than 25 years since 1998," said an SK Inc. spokesperson.

"This year's SK Inc. campaign tried to deliver sustainable happiness for the future in an intuitive way based on ESG management. We deliver our sincere gratitude toward Korea JoongAng Daily readers for giving us the honor of the grand prize at the 59th JoongAng Advertising Awards."

KB Financial Group took home the platinum prize with its "The Rich in Hope" advertisement, featuring its "Korea Better" campaign with the financier's new model Park Eun-bin. The advertisement unravels heartwarming stories of a beekeeper and a library owner described as those who "plant the seeds of a better world."

"KB Financial Group is honored to receive the advertisement award from the Korea JoongAng Daily," said Kim Jin-young, chief public relation officer at the financial company.

"The awarded advertisement has been created with the main theme of 'responding to climate change and fostering future generations'."

Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) won the gold prize with its "Brilliant Future, Luminous IFEZ!" advertisement.

"We consider the gold prize meaningful as it acknowledges the IFEZ's efforts and passion in promoting the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority's 20th anniversary," said Kim Bum-su, director general of the planning and coordination bureau at the IFEZ.

"The authority will try to attract more foreign investment to the IFEZ through more diverse and objective advertisement."

The awards ceremony was held at the Westin Josun Seoul in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]