Self-initiated concept · our own brief, our own brand
The crying room
A Seoul pop-up of crying booths: cry as long as you like, and the photo strip prints how long you lasted.
The brief
The problem
Every mascara says waterproof. Nobody believes a lab claim, and nobody wants to test it in front of a sales assistant.
The insight
People in Seoul already pay for small private rooms to sing their feelings out, and they already collect four-cut photo strips. Crying is the one thing nobody gives you a room for.
The idea
Build the room. Twelve karaoke-sized booths in Seongsu, a list of ballads written for the room, tissues and a hidden timer. When you are done, the booth takes your photo strip — with the time you cried printed on it, and the mascara still in place.
How it works
The user runs the waterproof test on herself, privately, and walks out with proof she wants to post. The longest cry of the day goes on a board outside. The strip doubles as a coupon, so the proof becomes the purchase.
What we would make
- Crying booths
Twelve booths, one song each, a mirror and a timer you cannot see. - The strip
Four cuts, one number: “Cried 4:12 · still perfect.” - Longest cry today
A leaderboard outside the pop-up, reset every morning.
What we would measure
- Booth bookings and walk-up queue length per day
- Strips posted, and share that show the cry time
- Strip-coupon redemptions in stores
- Streams of the twelve room ballads