Babitalk, a Korean plastic surgery information app, adopted an entirely novel approach to its business, disrupted industry norms and prioritized consumers' well-being. The new approach, called Face The Fact, differentiated the brand by focusing on side effects awareness and resonating with the target audience. Despite being a newcomer, Babitalk challenged the status quo, shifted the conversation around plastic surgery in South Korea, and influenced competitors to follow suit. The campaign demonstrates the power of aligning brand values with social responsibility and how a well-crafted creative strategy can drive positive change, brand growth, and industry transformation.

South Korea has earned a reputation as the world's plastic surgery capital, where the industry thrives on unrealistic advertising and only a third of patients are aware of the risks. The lack of transparency surrounding side effects contributes to 17% of patients experiencing lasting complications. Babitalk aimed to challenge this norm by promoting transparency, reshaping the conversation around plastic surgery, and prioritizing side effects awareness.

Understanding the brand's challenge required recognizing the tension between Babitalk's revenue source, which relies on clinic advertisements, and its commitment to promoting healthier choices. By interpreting client needs and brand values, we identified the need for a platform that empowers users through information and support in the highly competitive plastic surgery market. The desired outcome was a shift in industry dialogue, with increased caution and awareness around potential side effects, while staying true to Babitalk's core values.

Our strategic approach was informed by three crucial insights. First, we discovered that over 70% of Millennials and Gen Z in Korea actively use online communities, with 44.2% engaging daily. This demonstrated the potential for a digital platform to impact their perception of plastic surgery.

Second, we found that the Korean Consumer Affairs Ministry reported a growing number of plastic surgery victims from March 2019 to March 2022, further emphasizing the need for greater transparency and awareness about the risks involved.

Lastly, we recognized the significant influence of consumer behavior on the cosmetic surgery market. We learned that potential patients heavily rely on others' experiences and reviews, which play a major role in their decision-making process.

These insights led to the breakthrough idea of prioritizing side effects awareness and empowering users with genuine, transparent information and support on Babitalk's platform.

We broke new ground in Korea by launching Face The Fact, a one-of-a-kind dedicated side effects section. This feature enables users to share photos, clinic details, experiences, and receive community support.

Additionally, we integrated a cutting-edge, data-driven Side Effects Simulator to unveil potential risks for users contemplating procedures.

To amplify these innovations, we shared a captivating short documentary on social media, spotlighting a bold social experiment that disrupted plastic surgery consultations using Before/After comparisons that displayed side effects on candidates' portraits.

A 25% drop in plastic surgery consultations could have spelled trouble for BABITALK's business but users rewarded the brand for its honesty. We saw a 750% increase in monthly users, and the side effects section received over 1.6 million views. To date, more than 1.5 thousand side effects testimonials have been posted, shedding light on the reality of plastic surgery procedures. The documentary alone was viewed over 2.5 million times, with a campaign reach of approximately 58 percent of the target demographic aged 18-34.

As a result of our efforts, Babitalk not only surpassed the market leader in app downloads, but also fostered open conversations about side effects among competitors, ultimately transforming the industry's discourse and encouraging user caution. Babitalk's bold stance and dedication to user empowerment garnered widespread recognition and appreciation.

South Korea is known for its high demand for plastic surgery, driven by social pressures and unrealistic beauty standards. Misleading advertising by the plastic surgery industry increases pressure to go under the knife by making procedures appear convenient and safe. The industry thrives on advertising unrealistic results, making Babitalk's approach a refreshing and much-needed change in the cultural context of plastic surgery conversations. Seeing its users positively respond to its honest approach, Babitalk has tried to take ever-bolder steps to introduce reality into a space filled with misleading fantasies.