PTKOREA wins Effie Awards Korea Silver for Kakao Pay 'Sim Eun-ja Campaign'

Digital marketing company PTKOREA announced on the 28th that it has won Silver at the Effie Awards Korea for the Kakao Pay overseas payment campaign, the 'Sim Eun-ja Campaign'. Started in the United States in 1968, the Effie Awards is a marketing awards ceremony held in 125 countries worldwide, evaluating the performance of actual executed campaigns.

The award-winning 'Sim Eun-ja Campaign' featured the alter ego 'Sim Eun-ja' of actress Shim Eun-kyung to promote the fact that Kakao Pay can be used overseas under the message 'Cash is Uncool'. Content based on situations where one lacks cash during overseas travel was produced as a 10-part series, and a separate alter ego account was operated on Instagram, surpassing 20,000 followers.

Conducted for approximately two months starting from August 2025, this campaign recorded a cumulative 32.17 million views and over 120,000 engagements, including comments, likes, and shares. During the campaign period, the number of overseas payment users increased by 15.5% compared to the previous three months, and the number of payment transactions increased by 16.9%. It is evaluated as a case where the campaign's completeness was supported by results, as it did not stop at simple buzz but led to actual improvements in payment indicators.

In addition to this campaign, PTKOREA had several works listed in this Effie Awards, with 'Project Synergy Z' and Kwangdong Pharmaceutical's 'California Super Positive Sunkist' campaign both being named finalists.

Ji Won-gyu, CEO of PTKOREA, said, "This award is particularly meaningful as it is PTKOREA's first win at the Effie Awards Korea." He added, "It is a result that confirms our strategy of identifying inconveniences actually experienced by consumers and connecting them to the brand message was effective in the market. We will continue to present campaigns that contribute to our clients' business performance through high-quality creative."