There are 12 animals (12 Jisins) in the Korean Zodiac: mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog and pig. According to a 12-year cycle, each animal, and its reputed attributes, is associated with each year. Koreans think these animals relate to their own birth year, bringing them luck.

FYI, 2012 is referred to as the year of the Dragon. We made our company calendar with each Jisin shown at each of the 12-month page that it represents. With a bit of imagination, we gave more freedom and individuality to these traditional 12 Jisins.

The design of the calendar well matched our agency’s unique and witty brand identity and Korean’s traditional sentiments. The demand for this calendar was so high that the president of our company didn’t have extras to hand out.

Horse could have been more solemn a thousand years ago, but 2012’s Horse could be wearing adidas. What if Snake enjoys drinking Absolut vodka? Maybe Rabbit needs Viagra! Chubby Pig would look great in Santa Claus’s outfit! Thus, these 12 new Jisins of 2012 were borne with a bit of contemporary wit added. These witty animals were drawn in traditional art technique. Colour impression was that of Korean folk painting, and thickness and roughness of the paper gave a rather old-fashioned look. Even the stamps on the front page of the calendar and the envelope were hand-stamped to give authentic touch.