POST-CAMPBELLIAN NARRATIVES IN BRAND DESIGN: VULNERABILITY, ARCHETYPES, AND AUTHENTICITY IN "K-POP DEMON HUNTERS"
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/revgeov17n6-051Keywords:
Brand Narratives, Hero's Journey, Performative Vulnerability, Transmedia Branding, Postmodern DesignAbstract
This article examines how the animated film KPop Demon Hunters (2025) deliberately subverts Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey narrative structure, proposing an alternative model centered on the acceptance of vulnerability and performative authenticity. While Campbell’s monomyth has been widely adopted in branding and design strategies as a model for brand narratives, the Sony Pictures/Netflix film demonstrates the limitations of this structure by confronting contemporary issues of identity, shame, and imperfection. Through an analysis of the protagonist Rumi’s journey and the deconstruction of the masculine archetypes represented by the “Saja Boys,” this article presents arguments supporting the idea that postmodern narratives can benefit from shared vulnerability over individual heroic triumph. This analysis is relevant for design, branding, and media professionals seeking to build authentic and culturally appropriate brand narratives in a context of media saturation and demand for ethical values.
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