{"id":5066,"date":"2020-11-23T17:25:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T09:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=5066"},"modified":"2021-01-06T18:51:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T10:51:41","slug":"cao-sao-vang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/cao-sao-vang\/","title":{"rendered":"Old-School Medicinal Golden Star Balm Unexpectedly Becomes A Hit In Russia, South Korea & Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vietnam\u2019s Golden Star Cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> balm becomes a hit abroad<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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You can\u2019t call yourself a true-blue Vietnamese millennial if you haven\u2019t heard of or used <\/span>cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/b><\/em>, or the <\/span>Golden Star balm<\/b> growing up.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t used this once-popular<\/span> household item<\/span><\/a> before it faded into obscurity after losing its popularity in Vietnam, it\u2019s time to check it out in stores again because this made-in-Vietnam product is now causing a big wave in<\/span> Russia, South Korea, and Japan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> is a made-in-Vietnam product<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"cao
\nImage adapted from: Lazada<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> was researched and first manufactured around 1968 and 1969, and soon became a medicinal staple in every family in then-North Vietnam.<\/p>\n

Packed with pain-relieving ingredients and packaged in a round-shaped jar with a star logo that conveniently fits in a pocket, the product was often purchased by Vietnamese expats living in Europe for its convenience and affordability.<\/p>\n

\"cao
\nImage adapted from: <\/span><\/em>Shopee<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

However, Vietnamese residents can still find this product on online shopping platforms such as Shopee and Lazada, from only VND4,500, (~USD0.19) <\/b>for a 3-gram jar<\/b> and VND16,000 (~USD0.69)<\/b> for a 10-gram jar, <\/b>a dirt cheap price compared to other balms.<\/p>\n

Many years have come and gone, and cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> would have remained as a memory to every millennial had it not been recently heavily promoted in\u00a0foreign markets such as Russia, Japan, and South Korea.<\/p>\n

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Cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> is a big hit in Russia, Japan, and South Korea<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"cao
\nImage adapted from: \u00a0\u0413\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0440\u044b\u0431\u044b<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou seem to freeze in the moment, between coolness and sexuality.\u201d is an impressive yet abstract line used in a recent Russian ad describing the scent of the balm.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Growing up in an era where hardly any advertising campaigns were made for this cabinet staple, none of us millennials or our parents really talked about or took time to experience how the balm smelled like. When we needed the balm for our muscle pains or headaches, we just grabbed it and rubbed it on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watching this clip might make us want to smell <\/span>cao Sao V\u00e0ng <\/span><\/em>again to see if it\u2019s really<\/span> \u201ca scent built on contradictions\u201d<\/span> like how the Russian ad describes it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"cao
\nImage adapted from: \u00a0\u0413\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0440\u044b\u0431\u044b<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

All in all, seeing our homegrown product given a new lease of life in a movie trailer-like advertising clip is making Vietnamese netizens proud. In fact, it\u2019s like watching an advertisement for an expensive perfume.<\/p>\n

Another thing about this clip that makes us even gladder is the storyline of the advertisement, which portrays talents representing consumers from all walks of life. From teens to blue-collar\u00a0 and rich men and their girlfriends, it promises that all will be enchanted by the irresistible smell of cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em>.<\/i><\/p>\n

After making a sweeping success in Russia, the largest importer of <\/span>the balm<\/span>, <\/span><\/i>the product is also making waves in South Korea and Japan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"cao
\nImage adapted from: Naver Smart Store<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On South Korea\u2019s shopping platform Naver Shopping,<\/b> cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> is enjoying a starting price of KRW7,000 (~<\/b>VND145,806<\/b>) <\/b>, about 30 times the price of the product sold in Vietnam.<\/p>\n

\"cao
\nImage adapted from: Amazon Japan<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On Amazon Japan platform, the product is being sold at \u00a51,100 (~VND245,635), <\/b>about 55 times higher than its price in Vietnam. Furthermore, it\u2019s currently sold out.<\/p>\n

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Vietnamese netizens are wowed
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Seeing <\/span>cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/span><\/em> being promoted overseas has opened local netizens\u2019 eyes to the significance of this simple homegrown product. The commercial featuring cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em><\/span>\u00a0has raked in over 6 million views and thousands of comments at the time of writing.<\/p>\n

\"cao
\nImage adapted from: \u00a0\u0413\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0440\u044b\u0431\u044b<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Touched by the popularity of cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> in Russia, Youtube user Lights Northern<\/a> expressed his love for the beautiful land of birch trees, \u201cThey say French is [the] language of love, but to me, it\u2019s Russia[n]. From Vietnam with love, brothers and sisters!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"cao
\nImage adapted from: \u00a0\u0413\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0440\u044b\u0431\u044b<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe what you guys have done! Something that\u2019s so common in Vietnam like cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> can be this fancy and [luxurious]!! Thank you guys a lot [for] making this,\u201d Youtube user b5z<\/a> expressed their delightful surprise at the significant enhancement of cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em>\u2019s<\/em> image in Russia.<\/p>\n

While the comment section of the commercial clip is full of shoutouts and words of thanks from Vietnamese netizens, you\u2019ll also find some users expressing their pet peeves about the product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"cao
\nImage adapted from: \u00a0\u0413\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0440\u044b\u0431\u044b<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my country, they said that lifting Thor\u2019s Hammer would be easier than opening this with one hand,\u201d said Professor Nino <\/a>from Vietnam. This joking comment is actually true, because many consumers through the generations have had problems opening the stubborn lid of cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> jars because of its small size.<\/p>\n

Aside from many comments from Vietnamese Youtube users, you\u2019ll also find comments in Russian from Russian fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Vietnam\u2019s medicinal balm cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/em> is a hit in foreign markets<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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While we should be proud of all <\/span>locally produced products, seeing <\/span>cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/span><\/em> having fans all over the world makes us feel really proud.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only does <\/span>cao Sao V\u00e0ng<\/span><\/em>\u2019s<\/span><\/i> success story give us a newfound pride in this product which we have taken for granted for so long, but also ignites our hopes in our <\/span>local manufacturers.<\/span><\/a> Hopefully more quality <\/span>homegrown products<\/span><\/a> will be promoted abroad and put Vietnam on the world map again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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