Home appliance maker Cuchen unveils animated character Zin-z

Cuchen, a South Korean home appliance company, has introduced an original character named "Zin-z" to enhance its brand image.

Zin-z is an animation character who rises from a deep slumber to protect the value of rice, which has become a secondary concern for people due to the abundance of food. The character's name is derived from the word "living seriously," which emphasizes the importance of eating rice carefully and seriously.

Cuchen also unveiled "Mi-topia" (or rice-topia), a world created by Zin-z to help those who have lost their taste for rice rediscover its flavor.

By incorporating the rice character that reflects the unique features of the rice cooker maker and weaving stories around it, Cuchen aims to improve communication with Millennials and Generation Z.

The company seeks to engage young people's interest and participation through fun characters that cater to the growing number of "fun-sumers" (fun + consumers) who seek enjoyable consumption experiences.

"We attempted to employ a different image character marketing strategy by appealing to the younger generation, particularly the increasing number of fun-sumers," said a Cuchen official.

Write to Kyung-Joo Kang at qurasoha@hankyung.com