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ANA ad on Haneda Airport as emerging international Asian hub, talks about changing “the image of Japan” — into White Caucasian!
http://www.debito.org/?p=12077
ANA ad on Haneda Airport as emerging international Asian hub, talks about changing “the image of Japan” — into White Caucasian!
Posted by arudou debito on January 18th, 2014
Hi Blog. It’s times like these when people seem glad that a forum like Debito.org exists. I say this based on the large number of people who submitted information about the new ANA commercial on Haneda Airport’s increased international flights. Seems that somebody, anybody, should express outrage. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Here it is (courtesy lots of people; somebody get a copy of this because I have a feeling it’ll disappear soon):
Well, let’s have a think. With two Asian guys speaking only in English (one saying he’s Japanese — the noticeably shorter guy) noting that Japan will have more international access (Vancouver and Hanoi are mentioned as their destinations), the message of the ad is that the image of Japan will change. “Exciting, isn’t it?”, says the Japanese bloke. The taller dude says, “You want a hug?” When nothing happens (i.e., no hug), he oddly says, “Such a Japanese reaction.” When the tall dude says, “Let’s change the image of Japanese people,” the short dude agrees to it. And this is what happens to him:
Yeah, that’ll do it. Put on a wig and a fake nose, and that’ll change Japan’s image.
Actually, no it won’t. This is in fact business as usual, given how Japan has a nasty habit of racializing commodities. Check out but a few examples of racist Japanese commercial campaigns from Debito.org’s archives (click on images to see more information). Then I’ll comment about the ANA one:
Traveling to Nagasaki (let’s gaijinize ourselves!) (2010):
Toshiba sells breadmakers! (2013)
McDonald’s Japan sells burgers! (2009)
Selling sweets! (2013)
Mandom sells men’s cosmetics! (2005)
Mini Stop Konbini sells Afro Melon Bread! (2010)
Selling party favors! (Tokyu Hands 2008, still on sale on Amazon)
COMMENT ON ANA’S AD CAMPAIGN:
Well, I have the feeling that once again, a major Japanese company left their advertising to one of the big-name ad firms (as Toshiba above did), and they once again just thought they were being cute by sticking a wig and a big nose on somebody and making them look “foreign”. After all, who would complain? Japan is after all a homogeneous society with no racial issues (not!). Chuckling old-timey OBs on the board who make all the decisions and expect everyone to knuckle under thought nothing of it, especially since (check out that screen capture again):
the guy looks remarkably like Robert Redford! Who to a lot of Japanese (especially to the generation who haven’t had a Brad Pitt update yet) is the prototypical and idealized Westerner!
But some people, myself included, take a dim view of this campaign. Let me quote an esteemed friend of mine:
========================
Dear ANA,
I’m not sure you know this, but are you aware that most of your foreigner customers are from places like Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur? And that most of them probably don’t have blond/orange hair?
Oh, and even the ones with blond hair probably don’t have noses like a tengu goblin.
And pretty sure that Japanese people enjoy being hugged and have emotions. Well, at least the Japanese who aren’t sticks in mud CEO boardroom types with no sense that the world doesn’t really resemble their 19th century, “we are so different from you funny looking white gaijin” Meiji Era mentality.
Look forward to seeing your 2020 customers. They may surprise you.
Sincerely,
A Big Nose White Guy who speaks Japanese
========================
Quite. If ANA really wanted to change the image of Japan, they should have had the guys hugging! Arudou Debito
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 18th, 2014 at 8:28 pm and is filed under "Pinprick Protests", Bad Business Practices, Bad Social Science, Racist Images in Media, 日本語. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
http://www.debito.org/?p=12077
ANA ad on Haneda Airport as emerging international Asian hub, talks about changing “the image of Japan” — into White Caucasian!
Posted by arudou debito on January 18th, 2014
Hi Blog. It’s times like these when people seem glad that a forum like Debito.org exists. I say this based on the large number of people who submitted information about the new ANA commercial on Haneda Airport’s increased international flights. Seems that somebody, anybody, should express outrage. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Here it is (courtesy lots of people; somebody get a copy of this because I have a feeling it’ll disappear soon):
Well, let’s have a think. With two Asian guys speaking only in English (one saying he’s Japanese — the noticeably shorter guy) noting that Japan will have more international access (Vancouver and Hanoi are mentioned as their destinations), the message of the ad is that the image of Japan will change. “Exciting, isn’t it?”, says the Japanese bloke. The taller dude says, “You want a hug?” When nothing happens (i.e., no hug), he oddly says, “Such a Japanese reaction.” When the tall dude says, “Let’s change the image of Japanese people,” the short dude agrees to it. And this is what happens to him:
Yeah, that’ll do it. Put on a wig and a fake nose, and that’ll change Japan’s image.
Actually, no it won’t. This is in fact business as usual, given how Japan has a nasty habit of racializing commodities. Check out but a few examples of racist Japanese commercial campaigns from Debito.org’s archives (click on images to see more information). Then I’ll comment about the ANA one:
Traveling to Nagasaki (let’s gaijinize ourselves!) (2010):
Toshiba sells breadmakers! (2013)
McDonald’s Japan sells burgers! (2009)
Selling sweets! (2013)
Mandom sells men’s cosmetics! (2005)
Mini Stop Konbini sells Afro Melon Bread! (2010)
Selling party favors! (Tokyu Hands 2008, still on sale on Amazon)
COMMENT ON ANA’S AD CAMPAIGN:
Well, I have the feeling that once again, a major Japanese company left their advertising to one of the big-name ad firms (as Toshiba above did), and they once again just thought they were being cute by sticking a wig and a big nose on somebody and making them look “foreign”. After all, who would complain? Japan is after all a homogeneous society with no racial issues (not!). Chuckling old-timey OBs on the board who make all the decisions and expect everyone to knuckle under thought nothing of it, especially since (check out that screen capture again):
the guy looks remarkably like Robert Redford! Who to a lot of Japanese (especially to the generation who haven’t had a Brad Pitt update yet) is the prototypical and idealized Westerner!
But some people, myself included, take a dim view of this campaign. Let me quote an esteemed friend of mine:
========================
Dear ANA,
I’m not sure you know this, but are you aware that most of your foreigner customers are from places like Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur? And that most of them probably don’t have blond/orange hair?
Oh, and even the ones with blond hair probably don’t have noses like a tengu goblin.
And pretty sure that Japanese people enjoy being hugged and have emotions. Well, at least the Japanese who aren’t sticks in mud CEO boardroom types with no sense that the world doesn’t really resemble their 19th century, “we are so different from you funny looking white gaijin” Meiji Era mentality.
Look forward to seeing your 2020 customers. They may surprise you.
Sincerely,
A Big Nose White Guy who speaks Japanese
========================
Quite. If ANA really wanted to change the image of Japan, they should have had the guys hugging! Arudou Debito
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 18th, 2014 at 8:28 pm and is filed under "Pinprick Protests", Bad Business Practices, Bad Social Science, Racist Images in Media, 日本語. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
