Lotte Chilsung's Scotch Blue turns its own brand manager into a short-form character

Scotch Blue, the whisky brand under Lotte Chilsung, has launched a content experiment that puts the brand's own manager front and center as a short-form character — an attempt to use short-form video not merely as a promotional channel but as a bridge connecting brand identity with commerce.

Shotman Research Institute, a short-form business specialist, announced Tuesday that its short-form project "Captain Blue," developed in partnership with Scotch Blue, is generating an operational model that links brand content with commerce.

The project was conceived to help Scotch Blue expand its consumer touchpoints across digital channels. Shotman Research Institute designed the content strategy, account management and creator-linkage approach around "Captain Blue," a character-driven short-form account in which the brand's own manager appears directly on screen.

"Captain Blue" operates as a storytelling-based account built around the actual brand manager's persona. The account blends everyday office life with the brand's world, drawing on a character framed as a 15-year corporate veteran, an introverted office worker and a relatable everyman.

Shotman Research Institute views the project as a short-form operating model that combines KOS and KOC. KOS refers to an approach in which an in-house brand manager becomes the face of the content and communicates directly with consumers. KOC is a structure that drives content reach and purchase conversion through micro-creators and consumer participation.

Kim Ju-ha, a senior manager at Lotte Chilsung, said: "Captain Blue was a project where I, as the person in charge, became the character myself, listened to consumer reactions and engaged in dialogue — and through that, we confirmed a touchpoint where Scotch Blue can meet consumers more naturally on digital channels."

Yoon Seung-jin, chief executive of Shotman Research Institute, said the Captain Blue project "demonstrated that short-form video can expand beyond securing views to become a business channel that connects brand character, consumer engagement and purchase conversion."

Shotman Research Institute is a short-form commerce specialist. The company offers corporate education, consulting, content planning and production, account management, and brand partner creator group operations. It has carried out short-form strategy projects with Yuhan-Kimberly, Nongshim and Mynormal, among others.