Westernization of Japanese Advertising
When I began my research on Japanese advertising I had a hard time finding anything that did not pertain to the influence of Western culture on Japanese advertisements. Most of the information that I found solely covered the advertisements that featured Western actors and athletes. Many websites even went as far as to say that there was nothing outside of the Western infused advertisements in Japan. I suspected that these claims of Western domination were not true so I consulted people who had lived abroad in Japan. What I discovered surprised me, they said it was an exaggeration, but there was a definite strong Western presence in the print and commercial advertising in Japan. The extraordinary number of foreigners appearing in contemporary Japanese advertising is one of its most distinctive features. First-time Western visitors to Japan quickly notice this; even Westerners who have lived there a long time continue to talk about it. But the foreign models do not cause much of a reaction from the Japanese, who are accustomed to it. The interesting part is that none of these stars would advertise or promote these products in the United States.
The commercials in Japan for consumer products have a totally different feel – the kind run by your local hair salon. Many people call these commercials ‘tacky’, ‘cheesy’, or simply ‘stupid’. The reason for the success of Hollywood stars in advertising/promoting Japanese products to Japanese is simple – the fascination with Amerika. In a country where almost all mannequins in department stores and hair salons are blonde, it is not difficult to identify with Harrison Ford selling Kirin beer.[1]
In a day and age where it seems like all the new innovations in the media and technology are coming from Japan, it is surprising that the West is still looked at as a model. To understand how the West became such a strong influence on Japanese advertisements one needs to first look at the history of Japanese/ Western interaction, how the West is used and portrayed in advertisements.
History of Japanese and Western Cultural Exchanges
Reason for the influx of Western models in Japanese advertisements can best be understood by looking at the relations between the West and Japan. The intrusion of Western culture into Japan was much more controlled than in most other non-Western countries. Japan was an isolated country for more than two centuries. Japan expelled all foreigners and enacted a policy of self-isolation in 1639. It was not until 1868 under the Meiji restoration that this policy changed. The Meiji restoration is when, under the coercion of Commodore Matthew Perry, the Tokugawa shogunate government was revolted against and fell, restoring imperial rule in the country.[2] With this incredible shift in national policy came a sense that the two-century long isolation caused Japan to be left in the dark when it came to modern technologies. The Japanese studied the West, translating Western books and importing Western goods. The Westernization of Japan invaded Japanese culture with a fast fury.
Interactions between Japan and the West in the beginning were based on mutual interest and engagement. The Japanese aesthetics greatly influenced European artists; Western literature and material culture had their impact on Japan. These relations actually resulted in the stereotypes that can still be seen today. Japan associated with tea houses, paper umbrellas, submissive women and ferocious warriors; the West associated with cultural refinement in music and painting, idealized physical beauty, material abundance and the enjoyment of the good life.[3]
Representation of the West in Japan
The first taste of the West that the Japanese received was during the Meiji period primarily through Western books and a handful of investigatory trips to the West by some elite Japanese. What came as a result of these visits were images that focused on the idealized culture and theory instead of the actual practice of Western culture. Eventually the reality that the West was not perfect and had its own experiences with failure and flaws was revealed through increased contact with the West and Japan. The early romanticism of the West was over and the inequalities of Western-Japanese trade increased in addition to an increasing sense of nationalism within Japan as a result. Respect and admiration for all things Western was over until after World War II.
After the victory of WWII by the Allies, America occupied Japan giving the Japanese a closer look at the culture whose military power had dominated theirs. Many Japanese institutions were recast in an American mold, and American culture and values were greatly admired. The post-WWII period began a new era of Westernization but it was America, not Europe, that was the specific model for the Japanese.[4] With the occupation of the Americans a great amount of our popular culture was introduced to Japan. Movies, television and other forms of pop culture exposed the Japanese to the American lifestyle.
Early Portrayal of American in Japan
The representations of American culture in comic strips like “Blondie” and television shows like “Father Knows Best” greatly influenced the Japanese. These depictions of Americans portrayed their lifestyle as one of abundance and leisure. They also represented the dynamics of the “typical” American family, an obedient wife and children with a husband as the head of the household.[5] The Japanese, who were recovering from a huge hit to their economy from the war, were able to live vicariously through these American depictions.
Things have changed dramatically for Japan since these post-WWII times. Japan is now a rich nation with technological innovations that set the world’s standards for efficiency and quality. Simple admiration for America is once again complicated like that of the West in the 1900s; knowledge of our issues is well known, racial tensions, poverty and drugs to name a few.[6] Japan, the tenth most populous country in the world with the third-largest economy; with their own prosperity and domestic affluence and their own share of domestic models to choose from still uses Western models, especially celebrities, and images in their advertising.[7]
Appeal of Celebrities in Japanese Visual Advertisements
A celebrity endorser is “any individual who enjoys public recognition and who uses this recognition on behalf of a consumer good by appearing with it in an advertisement.” Compared to anonymous actors used in advertising, celebrities deliver meanings to the ad and the product with depth and power. While an anonymous person may provide demographic cues such as age, gender and role, celebrities offer all these meanings with special precision. In addition, they offer a holistic image and personality through associations.[8]
Japan is an important market for many global businesses. And although it is highly desirable, Japan is considered “the toughest market in the world” to tackle by managers of leading global companies. While Japanese consumers are affluent, they are also highly demanding. Japanese advertisers have discovered that one way to do so is through the use of celebrities. Since almost all of Japanese commercials are 15 seconds in length, celebrity endorsers are also believed to be an attention-getting device good at breaking through the clutter.[9]
The Allure of the Western Spokesperson
Western models are associated with inherently Western traits, action, freedom and flexibility. An example of this can be seen in an advertisement for Minolta (Figure 1A); we have a depiction of two unknown Western models demonstrating the ability of the Alpha-8700i camera to freeze action. The caption and fine print read:
That split-second feeling- Alpha. It’s here! Loaded with high-speed AF and 1/8000 second high-speed shutter. Vividly captures that thrilling moment. High-speed AF, single-lens Minolta Alpha 8700i. Now available. The high-speed AF aligns perfectly in an instant. The super-fast, 1/8000-second shutter combines with the AF to bring out the beauty of the moment that even the human eye cannot catch. Surprising beauty and breathtaking sharpness. Alpha 8700i lifts you to an all new dimension in the world of photography. The feeling of the moment- now captured forever in the image. The split-second intelligence of Alpha 8700i. With AF and single-lens quality for the ‘90s. New on the market from Minolta.[10]
Another trait of Western, especially American culture, which Minolta is using to their advantage with this advertisement, is the speed at which we live. Americans are known for their fast-pace lifestyle, the Minolta is able to capture that speed.
Another representation that Western society also provides is an important model for enjoying the good life. Contemporary Japan is a hardworking, materially successful society. What has not been so clearly developed along with the other changes in postwar Japan looks to the United States to provide that model since Americans stereotypically know how to relax and have a good time. An example of this can be seen in a commercial for the Suzuki Love scooter featuring Michael Jackson from the 1980s (see video 1A).[11] The commercial is aesthetically simple, there is a red scooter in the center of the room in addition to Jackson and a very pretty woman (basically a live mannequin), both in formal wear, and then, “Don’t stop ‘til you get enough” comes on. Michael Jackson begins dancing around the scooter and so does the actress; they have huge grins on their faces showing that they are having a good time. Towards the end of this twenty-one second commercial the message, “love is my message,” comes on screen.
This is just one commercial of a series of “love is my message” ads featuring the singer that aired in the early-1980s in Japan. He filmed another commercial that shows a superb California landscape with him dressed casually this time (video 1B).[12] This commercial shows how Americans and America are romanticized, openness, freedom, enjoyment- all issues that are assumed on images of America. These commercials include not only the fun factor but also a world-renowned pop star, Jackson, with his hit songs. The intended audience for these commercials is young adults and teenagers, particularly females. The message that each of the commercials show, “love is my message,” definitely plays into the female audience that this one-time heartthrob had as admirers. With this commercial I will transition into the appeal allure of Western celebrities in Japanese advertisements.[13]
Why a Western Celebrity?
Products and stars take on personalities and a premium is placed on their being well known for their own sakes. The definition of a brand, therefore, like that of a personality, is that something is well known for being well known. Western celebrities, specifically English speaking ones, are world renowned due to the popularity of Western popular culture.[14] It makes sense to me that foreign products from the West be represented by Western actors but their domestic products also? Companies use Westerners because not only do the Japanese watch Hollywood movies in droves, Western culture actually has a place within theirs. The Western actors that are used for the commercials and advertisements bring something else other than their image as a celebrity, their image as a Westerner, especially an American. The nationality itself carries a big weight of symbolism that is attractive to many in the Japanese public. Because of the Hollywood popularity in Japan, most movies are released in Japan relatively soon after their Western release and it is customary for lead stars to make a trip to Japan to promote the movie. In fact, many male Hollywood stars are big celebrities in Japan though female stars are known but Japanese men tend not to show the same passion in embracing them as women do. The Japanese companies realize this and in one of the world’s largest markets for advertising, they hire the most popular Hollywood celebrities to promote all kinds of products.[15] As carriers of popular culture, celebrities naturally play an important role in this cultural fusion process between Japan and the West. In a study conducted in the spring of 2005 that examined primetime programming on major national networks, Celebrities appeared in 48 percent of Japanese television commercials, a number 50 percent greater than that of the United States, who had 32 percent.[16]
Examples of Western- Influenced Commercials
I am now going to analyze the visual content popular advertising campaigns that Western, specifically American, celebrities have created to be aired in Japan. I am going to start by looking at television commercials and then go into print advertisement. Over the years there have been hundreds of commercials made; they can generally be divided into two categories, tasteful and tacky. I want to begin by looking at the tacky, starting with the current Governor of California.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is world famous due to his Hollywood success and now that he is governor of California (video 2A). Like many Hollywood stars in the 1990s, he appeared in many Japanese TV commercials. He is mostly remembered for the ads for Nissin Cup Noodle, Suntory Beer, Go West coffee and the wackiest for Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ energy vitamin drink Alinamin V.[17] It is this commercial for Alinamin V that I want to examine for its visual and symbolic content. Schwarzenegger is an attractive model for the Japanese audience. He represents someone who came from a foreign country and made it on their own in the United States and climbed to one of the highest levels of success in America on his own. Schwarzenegger symbolizes the American dream. In one of a series of commercials that he did for Alinamin V we can see just what Schwarzenegger brought to the table. Alinamin V is an energy drink sold by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, they describe it as a product aimed to help consumers battle fatigue and stay healthy. They explain that their promotional activities via mass media are focused on demonstrating the various benefits that can be acquired from the array of Alinamin products.[18] So according to Takeda, if you ingest Alinamin V, you will be able to morph into an almost Mr. Hyde with extreme amounts of energy with a possessed look, a genie that can create enough money to fill a room with gold and enable you to fly once you transform into a Mr. Hyde.[19] In this video in particular, Schwarzenegger is selling the Alinamin V, a vitamin B energy drink. The commercial begins with an Alinamin V bottle sitting on a steel rafter, it is opening itself. A cloud of smoke wafts out and Arnold appears in his alter ego form, a flamboyant, high energy, almost scary form of himself with a cape. You can assume that a construction worker brought the energy drink to work and left it there, the commercial implies that when you drink the vitamin-based energy drink, this is what possesses you. This spirited character then floats down to a room filled with money, since I cannot understand the Japanese that is spoken I have to go solely on the graphics, Schwarzenegger’s high level of energy enabled him to materialize a great amount of money since more energy will obviously allow to work longer and harder which will be rewarded with success and money. It is here that we can see why they chose Arnold for this spot; he represents someone who often plays overly macho men who have a great deal of power and strength, much like how he is in the commercial.[20] The use of energy, overly dramatic actions and power are intrinsically associated with the West.
The next cheesy Western-influenced commercial features Nicholas Cage. The product that he is endorsing is from Sankyo, the maker of “pachinko” machines, Japanese gambling devices that are said to be tied to the Yakuza organized crime group (video 3A). It is not surprising that Sankyo would go outside of Japan to case the leading man for their commercial since the pachinko machines that he is advertising is controversial since it has suspected mob ties. The commercial opens with a mob scene in a rural, presumably American, neighborhood, a red sports car is pulling up. Down rolls a tinted window and we get the first glimpse of our star that gets his first glimpse of innately “American” twins who turn out to be triplets. The girls look like they are straight out of Playboy, with their bleach blond hair, fake tans and drastically less clothes than anyone else in the crowd. Cage’s excitement at seeing the three girls sets off a jackpot fantasy in his head, causing fever to be repeated constantly for the remainder of the commercial. This jackpot fantasy transforms the girls into Miss America-looking bikini-clad contestants and also causes Cage to begin seeing triplets who all recite “fever”. This commercial is incredibly tasteless and capitalizes on the American stereotype of what many foreigners imagine America to be, down to the one set of triplets eating watermelon. The television ad also includes the all too common idea of the American playboy who drives fancy cars and gets beautiful women in addition to the representation of scenic America, the commercial takes place in a “typical” suburban neighborhood with a lush green landscape and very large homes. The message of this ad is “look at what money can get you!” and everyone knows the fastest and easiest way to make a quick fortune is through gambling, naturally. With your newly acquired riches you can move to America where you can have the good life with your own set of blond triplets, is that not what every Japanese man desires? This commercial grossly pushes the Western agenda that what they have is what everyone else desires.[21]
Nicholas Cage went on to do many other Sankyo commercials, a memorable and offensive one for me was him as a cowboy. Nicholas Cage plays a cowboy, and if that is not bad enough he tries his best at a Southern accent and fails miserably (video 3B). The commercial begins with a rusty old Chevy truck going down a highway through the desert, the road is empty. The camera then pans into the truck where we see Cage, dressed as a rodeo cowboy with his zebra-printed seats humming along to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (is that not what all cowboys do?). But just as our protagonist really starts grooving out, “I’ll be darn tootin’” if he does not get forced to stop by a little silver man with a ball for a head. Cage gets out of his truck and attempts to interact with them by saying some more ‘cowboy’ slang and jumping up and down with them. The commercial has no relevance to the gambling product until the very end, after Cage gets hit in the head, then you finally hear the product that is being sold. I fear that this is what many foreigners think we behave and dress like escaped rodeo clowns. This commercial features many qualities that are associated with the West, but mainly the United States. The setting alone is very south-western America; the truck also represents classic American ingenuity. The driver, also, unfortunately represents a style that is exclusively American. A piece of the commercial that brings us back to the Western stereotype that was developed during the Meiji period with classical music. There is a Japanese influence in this commercial with the little silver aliens, they are very childlike and cute, a trait of Japanese popular culture in my mind. I feel like the intended audience for this commercial is middle-aged Japanese men who have a thing for the country and cowboy culture of America.[22]
The number of esteemed Western actors who do fairly embarrassing Japanese commercials is very high, our next actor is Oscar-nominated, he goes by Connery, Sean Connery. We are given two examples of his advertisements in Japan, one is based on the cute pop culture of Japan and the other is based on the classical culture of the West. Lets begin by looking at the first of the commercials, Connery is selling Biogurt, a Japanese yogurt (video 4A). When he first appears on screen in a big red convertible he is in a white tuxedo with a red bowtie, he looks like a combination of Pee Wee Herman and James Bond, a little closer to Pee Wee; they are both two cultural references to the West. He has a cute little bunny puppet with a matching red bow as a passenger and they are driving through the country. One interesting feature of this commercial is that it is actually in Japanese, the Western actor is saying more than two things in Japanese also. The two eventually pull up to a huge yogurt house. I assume that the intended audience for the Biogurt is children because of the bunny and his high pitch, childlike voice; also because Sean Connery did not speak English, he spoke Japanese. I am sure that children are not fully introduced to English until they get into school so I believe that due to the use of language one can guess the audience.[23]
The next commercial that I am going to look at is Sean Connery for Suntory Whiskey (video 4B). This advertisement has a much more distinguished feeling than the previous did; it is obvious from the product who the target audience is, adults of drinking age. It is a very relaxed setting that Connery is in; he is sitting in a reading chair reading a newspaper with his dog beside him while he enjoys a glass on Suntory. He pours some Suntory whiskey into a glass with ice, swirls it around, smells it, takes a sip, swooshes it around in his mouth and then swallows with a satisfied look on his face. He drinks the whiskey with refinement and maturity. He is in a Western setting because the size of the house is so large and spacious, a general trait of the West. This is a commercial that I could easily see anywhere in the world, it is not specifically leaning to one culture or another among the developed nations. He does not have an eccentric wardrobe or storyline like all of the other commercials featuring Western actors had.[24]
Conclusion
It is strange to see the representation of our culture used to sell products that are not American or being sold in America. It should not be a surprise that the West is exploited to sell Japanese products. Themes from the Western world, especially those of America, that are frequently used to benefit the sale of products in Japan are the use of leisure, size of the environment whether it be a spacious home, large field or other kind of landscape that is associated with America. The Westernization of Japan has been a long ongoing process that began with the Meiji period in the 1860s and continues still today through popular culture. The attraction that the Japanese have with Western celebrities is due to the imposition of Western culture and the idealizations that have been created over the past two centuries.
[1] Graham, Eimi. “Secrets of Japanese advertising strategy: How Japanese companies use Hollywood stars to market and promote Japanese products.” http://www.mynippon.com/photos/photo98.htm, [accessed May 5, 2009].
[2] “Meiji Restoration.” Alumni.OX.compsoc.net. http://alumni.ox.compsoc.net/~gemini/simons/historyweb/meiji-resto.html [Accessed May 6, 2009].
[3] O’Barr, William M. Culture and the Ad: Exploring Otherness in the World of Advertising (1994). Google Book Search. http://books.google.com/books?id=K76V2QfEbF4C&pg=PA181&lpg=PA181&dq=japanese+visual+advertising+in+comparison+to+america%27s&source=bl&ots=ACbKYYLYRQ&sig=P6Sc7fo69dhSoDlg64QnYmox7No&hl=en&ei=YawDSuS1N4qMtgeC4Y2KBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#PPP1,M1 Pg. 174.
[4] O’Barr, pg. 174.
[5] Ibid.
[6] O’Barr, pg. 174.
[7] Lee, Wei-Na, Sejung Marina Choi and Wanhsiu Sunny Tsai. “Celebrity Advertising in Japan and Korea: Doing it the Asian way?” (2007). University of Texas. http://advertising.utexas.edu/sp/groups/public/@commadvfac/documents/general_information/prod75_017504.pdf [Accessed May 7, 2009].
[8] Ibid.
[9] Lee, et. al.
[10] O’Barr, pg. 176.
[11] “Japanese Michael Jackson Commercial,” YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coY9URIYFpU&feature=related [Accessed May 7, 2009].
[12] “Michael Jackson Suzuki Commercial,” YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zo4kW9bjTU [Accessed May 7, 2009].
[13] O’Barr, pg. 181.
[14] Moeran, Brian. A Japanese Advertising Agency (1996). GoogleBooks. http://books.google.com/books?id=Cid44llrlewC&printsec=frontcover&dq=japanese+advertising [Accessed May 8, 2009] pg. 280.
[15] Graham.
[16] Lee.
[17] “Arnold Schwarzenegger commercials in Japan,” posted March 22, 2008. http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/arnold-schwarzenegger-commercials-in-japan/ [Accessed May 8, 2009}.
[18] “International Strategic Products: ethical drugs” (2007). Takeda.com http://www.takeda.com/pdf/usr/default/ar2007_13_27777_5.pdf, [Accessed May 8, 2009].
[19] “Arnold Schwarzenegger…” (videos available).
[20] “Schwarzenegger Alinamin V Energy Drink,” YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl0HOqjSzqw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjapansugoi.com%2Fwordpress%2Farnold-schwarzenegger-commercials-in-japan%2F&feature=player_embedded [Accessed May 8, 2009].
[21] “Nicholas Cage Japanese Commercial – Fever Pachinko,” YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=983_qqatdTQ [Accessed May 8, 2009].
[22] “Nicholas Cage- Sankyo Pachinko ad,” YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVMziCNFF1I&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cracked.com%2Farticle_17080_8-humiliating-japanese-ads-starring-oscar-nominees.html&feature=player_embedded [Accessed May 8, 2009].
[23] “Sean Connery in Japanese ad of yogurt,” YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU6X6ohNM3w [Accessed May 8, 2009].
[24] “Sean Connery – Suntory Whiskey Ad,” YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amnpKeRivMI [Accessed May 8, 2009].
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Japanese Coca-Cola website's main page::
