Background

PostBus can speak Korean now, too

The Swiss village of Iseltwald is booming thanks to Netflix. Even more so, in fact, than the small village on the shore of Lake Brienz would like. Now, PostBus is helping South Korean visitors to Iseltwald to travel along other beautiful public transport routes in the Bernese Oberland, as well, with the aid of a brand new Korean website.

Katharina Merkle

Rich Content Section

The postbus is being relabelled

In 2019, almost 90,000 people travelled from Interlaken to Iseltwald on Postbuses. In 2023, this number trebled. A large part of this number consists of tourists. The overwhelming majority of them want to visit this small village on Lake Brienz because a key scene from the Korean series “Crash Landing on You” was filmed there. Most of the fans of this series come from South Korea. PostBus is now able to address these fans directly thanks to the first campaign they’ve ever produced in Korean.

Why not go to Isenfluh?!

Korean guests can be taken directly to the Korean-language Postbus website by scanning QR codes in window films on and in double-decker Postbuses, on dual screens and at the bus stop in Iseltwald. In keeping with the “Discover more” motto, they’ll learn on the website that the Bernese Oberland has even more scenic gems to offer, which they can reach on a day trip from Interlaken.

The spectacular mountain passes in the Central Alps, the tranquil Rosenlaui line, as well as the Wilderswil-Saxeten and Lauterbrunnen-Isenfluh routes are all highlighted. The small village of Isenfluh is still relatively unknown among tourists from abroad, doesn’t suffer at all from overtourism despite its spectacular views, and is presented on the website as an insider tip. Korean tourists who have a Jungfrau Railways “Dong Shin VIP Pass” pay half price on the Rosenlaui line.

This special advertisement is also available in German and English. The new sticker on the Iseltwald Postbus also serves as a guide for customers at Interlaken Ost station. It helps visitors to find the express line more easily.

“Labelling” video, with music only

Will Indians be the next to come?

Even in the era of artificial intelligence, some technical measures were needed to make the first Korean PostBus landing page possible. Among other things, the online team had to ensure that the content management system could support the use of characters in the Korean alphabet. Furthermore, the double-decker Postbus was larger than the space available to the advertising company tasked with the sticker campaign. The Postbus ended up being remodelled in the large hall of the PostBus company SteinerBus in Ortschwaben, Bern.

It is expected that more and more Indian tourists will be using the PostBus double-decker to travel to Iseltwald. This is because the cult series “Crash Landing on You” can also be streamed in Hindi on Netflix. Indians are already benefiting from the English version of the new marketing campaign.

written by

Katharina Merkle