Shin Ramyun

Name and package

"Shin Ramyun" is the English transliteration of the Korean words for "spicy instant noodles". Shin Ramyun uses red and black packaging with the emphasized calligraphic form of the Hanja character "辛", which means "spicy".[4] Additionally, the character is the surname of both the founder of Nongshim, Shin Choon-ho, and his elder brother, Shin Kyuk-ho, who started Lotte.

Other flavours

Shin Ramyun Black was introduced in April 2011, which was 25 years after Shin Ramyun was first introduced to the market. Shin Ramyun Black is a slightly different version of Shin Ramyun with an additional seolleongtang powder on top of its flavor. Other ingredients include boiled beef slices, garlic and shiitake mushrooms.[9] In the U.S. there are two types of Shin Ramyun Black: a Package type (130g) and a cup/bowl type (Shin Black Cup Noodle, 101g). There is also a Shin Black M-Cup (75g).

Shin Ramyun Red "Super Spicy" was launched in late 2019, in both standard packet form and the smaller instant cup size, using the same noodle blocks and vegetable packet but a much spicier soup base.

A shrimp flavor is also available in China.

In South Korea

As part of the marketing strategies, Nongshim uses "사나이 울리는 신라면" (romanization: Sanai Ullineun Shin Ramyun; translation: "Shin Ramyun can make a man cry"[11]). The word sanai is used to describe the man while emphasizing the masculinity.[12]

Most of its commercials include a famous male celebrity, frequently with his family, who is eating Shin Ramyun at home. These commercials emphasize being family friendly, being Korean, and folksiness. Psy,[13] a South Korean singer who is well known for his song "Gangnam Style," and Park Ji-Sung[14] and Son Heung-min,[15] South Korean footballers, also filmed Shin Ramyun commercials.

Nongshim has many jingles for their products. Adding a simple yet catchy jingle at the end of their commercials is one of Nongshim's important marketing strategies.[12] They are easy to remember, and most people in South Korea are aware of them.[16]

In China

In China, Nongshim uses a slogan: 사나이라면 매운맛을 먹을 줄 알아야지 (Simplified Chinese: 吃不了辣味非好汉; Translation: He who cannot handle spice is not a true man).[17] This slogan is from a famous phrase in China "不到长城非好汉 (He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man)" by Mao Zedong.[17]

Being aware of the historical importance of the board game baduk (popularly known as "go") in China, Nongshim has been sponsoring an annual Baduk Championship, the Nongshim Cup, as part of their marketing strategies since 1999.[18][19]

In Japan

In Japan, Nongshim has set 10 April as a Shin Ramyun day since 2010.[20] The date was chosen for its similarity in pronunciation with "Hot" when the Japanese pronunciation of the number 4 in English is combined with the Japanese word for 10.[20][21]

The Japanese word umakara (lit. 'spicy yet tasty') has been used to describe the flavor of Shin Ramyun.[22][23][24]

As part of the main marketing projects, Nongshim offers "Shin Ramyun Kitchen Car", a food truck that offers consumers a chance to taste Shin Ramyun, since 2013.[20] Every year, the truck travels across Japan for seven months, promoting Shin Ramyun to Japanese consumers. As of April 2016, the truck has hosted a total of 150 tasting sessions, and travelled more than 100,000 kilometers.[20][25]