Devsisters is moving to combine its flagship intellectual property (IP), CookieRun: Kingdom, with Korean traditional culture. The company has a strategy to elevate games into the realm of “culture” beyond a simple marketing event and to become a long-running IP spanning generations like Pokemon or Disney.

Devsisters on Jan. 22 held a media preview for the “CookieRun: Kingdom Art Collaboration Project Special Exhibition: Legacy of the Great Kingdom” at Ara Art Center in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The exhibition is a large-scale project following a Deoksugung exhibition held in cooperation with the National Heritage Administration, and was completed through collaboration with 10 holders of national intangible cultural heritage and artisan artists over a 2-year preparation period.

“Beyond games to a 100-year cultural legacy”... global expansion accelerates

In welcoming remarks, Devsisters CEO Gil-hyun Jo (조길현) defined the project’s core purpose as “expansion” and “responsibility.” Jo said CookieRun is a global IP with 300 million cumulative users in 248 countries worldwide, adding that the goal is to create new value by combining it with modern content and to publicise it globally, beyond preserving Korea’s traditional culture.

This differs from the one-off collaborations game companies often run. Jo said the goal is to become a legacy with long-term vitality that can last 30, 50 or 100 years, like Pokemon, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, and Disney, which has passed its 100th anniversary. The exhibition is seen as part of long-term branding investment to secure a global IP asset representing South Korea rather than immediate profitability.

In line with that strategy, Devsisters has made official plans to expand the exhibition beyond South Korea to the United States and elsewhere. Jo said the exhibition installations were also made to be easily moved and reinstalled overseas, adding that the company is considering expansion not only to the United States but also to Taiwan, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia, as well as Japan, Britain, Canada and Australia where it has a solid user base.

A blend of artisan spirit and media art... evolving into an “experiential exhibition”

Jeong Ki-wan (정기완), head of the marketing strategy business team who oversaw the project, said the planning stage avoided superficial collaborations that simply borrow character images. He explained that the focus was on matching the narratives of in-game characters with the values pursued by traditional crafts.

The exhibition is organised around 6 themes: will, history, knowledge, happiness, solidarity and harmony. For example, Dark Cacao Cookie, which symbolises “resolve” and opposes the Dark Witch Cookie, was matched with a work by mother-of-pearl lacquerware master Dae-hyun Son (손대현). Jeong said the dozens of steps carried out silently to make a single piece of mother-of-pearl lacquerware connect with the character’s narrative of “resolve.”

The special exhibition also moves beyond simply displaying traditional crafts. It was designed in collaboration with media art group nau so visitors can experience the entire space. Visitors receive an NFC wristband upon entry, and can hold it to tag points inside the venue to trigger media art responses and interact with the works.

Devsisters’ move is an attempt for game IP to evolve beyond the limits of “digital play” into a “cultural legacy,” and a strategic investment aimed at raising IP asset value beyond marketing costs. The special exhibition is read not as a display of CookieRun’s current performance, but as an example that reveals the direction Devsisters is drawing for the next 10 and 20 years.

The special exhibition runs from Jan. 23 to April 12. On the first floor, an art shop offers traditional stationery made by artisans and various products created in collaboration with 9 Korean traditional goods companies.