Why MZs Spend Money on ‘Nonsense’

Are you familiar with ‘Byul Dakku’? It’s a shortened term for ‘decorating anything,’ a culture that reflects the preferences of the MZ generation who refuse to be swept away by ready-made items. The ‘Dakku (decorating diaries)’ culture is a familiar sight for those who went through their school days in the 90s. However, what has changed is that it has evolved from a children’s pastime into a fully-fledged culture. We took a closer look at the current ‘Byul Dakku’ culture, where people put effort into each small prop to show off their personal taste.

About 4 million posts related to the ‘Dakku’ hashtag

The trend of ‘Byul Dakku (decorating everything)’ is in full swing with people customizing various items such as diaries, notebooks, and shoes to match their individuality. On social media, over 4 million hashtags have already been created and ASMR videos related to decorating diaries on YouTube have recorded 1.5 million views.

Part of the retro trend

The Dakku craze has indeed led to real consumption. In the case of Kyobo Hot Tracks, which sells stationery and items, sales of decorating supplies have grown by 80% compared to the previous year, and franchises specializing in Dakku supplies have also emerged. The Dakku culture is particularly popular among those in their 10s and 20s as it allows them to express their individuality and preferences without spending a lot of money.

Companies’ marketing reflecting the ‘Byul Dakku’ trend

The retail industry is actively engaging in marketing that reflects the Byul Dakku trend not only by providing goods to assist in decoration but also by launching colorful packages. Coca-Cola has released a Christmas special package, and Starbucks allows customers to receive planners and related goods upon completion of frequency accumulation. KB Kookmin Bank has also held an event in collaboration with Cafe Noted giving away limited-edition diary kits for free.

Spending 200,000 to 300,000 won is basic at a Dakku shop

As decorating diaries has become a trend, Dakku shops and accessory shops are popping up everywhere. Dakku supplies can be divided into masking tape, stickers, pens, stamps, and memos, and the price range varies from a few thousand won to tens of thousands of won. The so-called ‘Dakku tribe’ even tours famous Dakku shops and does not hesitate to go to Dakku shops in other regions. Also, sales of Dakku-related items have greatly increased in online smart stores.

I’m the designer!

With the trend of self-customization, it has become fashionable to create what you want to decorate and do as you wish. There are advantages such as creating a design that’s one-of-a-kind in the world and being the only one to own it. For instance, Crocs Jibbitz are charms that can be used to decorate Crocs, allowing you to remove and attach them as you wish, creating a variety of looks with a single pair of shoes.

Not only diaries but countless places can be decorated

Self-customization, the origin of decorating diaries or phones, is something that anyone with good manual dexterity would have tried at least once. In addition, there’s also a buzz about decorating pencil cases and AirPods. In the case of decorating diaries, the current hobby of MZs is to go to places that sell stickers, masking tape, and postcards for Dakku, buy the materials, and spend healing time doing Dakku.

Even the appearance of credit cards can be personalized

The appearance of credit cards and check cards can also be personalized, and some companies produce and sell card stickers. You can create your design by inserting pictures of your favorite idols, and major domestic card companies are joining the card decorating craze by releasing cards featuring famous characters. Not only that, but keyboards are also being released that can be customized, allowing users to apply their preferred style of emoji to shortcut keys and change keycaps according to their preferences.

Do you know ‘Deep Kku’?

‘Deep Kku’ refers to decorating a KakaoTalk gifticon to give to someone, writing a message by hand, or drawing a picture on the part excluding the barcode. The point is not to give the gifticon directly to the other person, but to ‘gift it to me,’ capture the barcode, decorate it elaborately, and send the image.

Some point out that it promotes overspending

There are also negative views on this Dakku culture. This is because the prices of various goods for decoration, such as Jibbitz, stickers, and key rings, vary greatly. There are cases where products collaborated with famous singers or popular characters cost tens of thousands of won each. There are indeed criticisms of promoting overspending due to indiscriminate purchases simply because they are fans.

What is the common feature of custom items?

The common point of these self-custom items is ‘effort.’ It’s not only about my satisfaction but also about decorating while imagining someone else’s happy face and spending time and effort decorating together. It’s safe to say that today’s culture of pouring effort into small happiness is not necessarily bad, right?

By Shin Young Jeon