What started as a billboard became a full-on marketing game. Musinsa and Zigzag turned rivalry into entertainment — with playful jabs, coupon codes, and other brands jumping into the comments. In Korea, even a brand feud can become a viral shopping event.
It started with a billboard in Seongsu. During Musinsa's major summer sale, Zigzag appeared right next to Musinsa's Seongsu flagship store with a huge outdoor ad that read: "Shop on Zigzag, deliver straight ahead."
Technically, it was an ad for Zigzag's partner brand Chaakan Shoes. But because it was placed right beside Musinsa's home turf, people quickly read it as a bold challenge — and that's why it went viral.
After the billboard went viral, Musinsa posted a series of playful jabs on Instagram. It mocked Zigzag as a platform for people who "go the long way," while Musinsa "goes straight." It also shared a screenshot-style post asking Zigzag's customer center: "When does Mujinjang start?" — Mujinjang being Musinsa's own major sale event.
That was the moment the rivalry became openly playful.
Musinsa's long-running line, "Everyone does Musinsa," became: "Ladies do Zigzag, not Musinsa." Then Zigzag turned the joke into a real shopping benefit with a 10% extra coupon code: "MUSWINSA."
After Zigzag launched its "MUSWINSA" coupon, Musinsa responded with its own code: "JIGEUL-JAEGEUL." The coupon offered 20% off, doubling Zigzag's 10% discount. What started as a joke had now turned into a real coupon war.
This was not just a brand fight. It turned rivalry into entertainment. What started as a billboard became a real-time marketing game — with Instagram posts, comments, coupon codes, and other brands joining in. Official accounts from fashion, beauty, food, and retail brands jumped into the comment section, making the feud even more fun to watch.