SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — INNOCEAN is taking the initiative in improving the quality of life for people in the community by establishing “The World’s Safest Public Bathhouse (Safe Bath),” a safe bathing space for the elderly.
INNOCEAN, led by Global CEO William Lee, will remodel Iljuk Mokyoktang, a public bathhouse in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, built in 1997 and operating for 27 years without remodeling, and present it as a new space. This will provide a safe bathing environment for local residents, many of whom are elderly, and contribute to the spread of a healthy bathing culture.
Starting with the “Safe Bath” project, INNOCEAN aims to deliver public benefits and social value by rebranding old social spaces using the company’s “creative” capabilities as a marketing and communications company.
The first project in the Social Space Rebranding campaign, Iljuk Mokyoktang Renewal, is characterized by the full renovation of an old public bathhouse, from the entrance to the changing rooms to the bathing area. In particular, the bathhouse will be thoroughly redesigned to prevent safety accidents common among the elderly, such as heat shock (the number one mortality accident in hot baths), burns, drowning, and falls, which are the leading causes of death in bathhouses. Iljuk Mokyoktang is officially set to open with a completion ceremony on November 22.
This campaign is significant because INNOCEAN has taken the initiative to create a “safe space” for the community by combining its creative and professional skills. It is noteworthy that the company is practicing its social responsibility and role by improving public awareness and promoting public spaces with added value.
An official from INNOCEAN stated, “We focused on ‘spaces’ that are familiar but have low social interest and are therefore perceived as old and uncomfortable.” The official added, “We decided to apply our creative technology to renew these places, which are essential to local communities but have been neglected due to decreased usage and the aging population.”
In particular, “public bathhouses” were chosen because they are important social spaces where vulnerable people can take care of their health at an affordable price, but are also prone to frequent safety accidents due to being old facilities.
In fact, according to the “Current Status of the Public Bathing Industry (2022),” a report by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, there were nearly 10,000 bathhouses in operation nationwide in 2003, but the number of bathhouse closures has outpaced the number of new business registrations since 2004, and only about 3,000, are currently in operation, a decrease of about 40%.
INNOCEAN added that the elderly still need public bathhouses as a space for hygiene and social networking, and the reality of their gradual disappearance is worthy of social attention.
INNOCEAN further noted that “As a company that specializes in bringing new experiences to our customers, we are very proud to be able to leverage our experience and know-how to improve the quality of life for the local community.”
In fact, INNOCEAN has been at the forefront of creating positive customer experiences through integrated marketing solutions at the intersection of brands and customers. Through this project, the general public will be able to enjoy a unique spatial experience with a creative twist as customers of INNOCEAN.
After the Iljuk Mokyoktang completion ceremony, INNOCEAN will continue various activities to spread a culture of safe bathing, including conducting health education for the local community to promote health care, distributing guidebooks on how to bathe properly, and broadcasting documentaries on Safe Bath.
With the Safe Bath campaign as the starting line, INNOCEAN will continue to expand its Social Space Rebranding project with different concepts every year.
William commented, “This project was a special challenge for INNOCEAN, as we wanted to breathe new life into a disappearing space and spread good influence in society through rebranding.”
He also noted, “We will continue to take the lead in realizing social value with ‘creative’ that only INNOCEAN can do.”
