The rise of consumerism and the localization of trademark design in colonial Korea: Focusing on the “cultural rule” period between 1920 and 1937

The rise of consumerism and the localization of trademark design in colonial Korea: Focusing on the “cultural rule” period between 1920 and 1937

CHUN, Yongkeun; KIM, Min-Soo

Article:

This study aims to capture aspects of localization in trademark design during the so called “cultural rule” period (1920-1937) in colonial Korea. While conducting case studies of corporate and merchandise trademarks, it also pays attention to political, social and economic conditions, as the shift of policy by the colonial government in 1920 led to the expansion of media, commerce and advertising, resulting in the rise of modern consumerism in Korea. In trademark design, a “Korean transformation” was observed. National icons were adopted to emphasize the origin of Korean products and companies, original forms of symbolization were sought as counterparts to the Japanese family crest style, and the use of hangeul (Korean characters) expanded. This article claims that although nationalist implications were imbedded in these changes, the fundamental driving force was the profit motive of enterprises, which sought optimized forms to attract the attention of consumers.

This study aims to capture aspects of localization in trademark design during the so called “cultural rule” period (1920-1937) in colonial Korea. While conducting case studies of corporate and merchandise trademarks, it also pays attention to political, social and economic conditions, as the shift of policy by the colonial government in 1920 led to the expansion of media, commerce and advertising, resulting in the rise of modern consumerism in Korea. In trademark design, a “Korean transformation” was observed. National icons were adopted to emphasize the origin of Korean products and companies, original forms of symbolization were sought as counterparts to the Japanese family crest style, and the use of hangeul (Korean characters) expanded. This article claims that although nationalist implications were imbedded in these changes, the fundamental driving force was the profit motive of enterprises, which sought optimized forms to attract the attention of consumers.

Palavras-chave:

DOI: 10.5151/despro-icdhs2016-01_006

Referências bibliográficas

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Como citar:

CHUN, Yongkeun; KIM, Min-Soo; "The rise of consumerism and the localization of trademark design in colonial Korea: Focusing on the “cultural rule” period between 1920 and 1937", p-28-32. In: Wong, Wendy Siuyi; Kikuchi, Yuko & Lin, Tingyi (Eds.). <strong>Making Trans/National Contemporary Design History [=ICDHS 2016 – 10th Conference of the International Committee for Design History & Design Studies]</strong>. São Paulo: Blucher, 2016.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/despro-icdhs2016-01_006