All one has to do is check out a boxing event, or an MMA event. To be honest, what's the difference between having an ad for PornHub on your back versus having an ad placed all over your shirt or other clothing. For that, check out NASCAR, European soccer and hockey - anyone wearing a T-shirt with a Nike swoosh or logo for some other brand.
But, in Japan… it's about product placement.
The next big thing to come out of Japan involves sexy, young Japanese women walk around with an advertising sticker placed appropriately on an exposed portion of their supple leg… above the sock, and below the skirt.
People will look - which is why I am writing about this.
And, when you have looked, you have proved that they marketing method works.
Everyone knows that sex sells. One of the first pieces I ever wrote was a column for my college newspaper back in 1989. My lead: Sex! Sex! Sex! (Followed by: "Now that I have your attention… ")
Needless to say, that comedy column receives some great reviews with people I'd never seen before at school coming up to me to tell me they liked my writing.
Knowing the answer, I asked anyways: What made you read my piece?
To a man, they all answered that my opening line written in caps and bolded certainly caught their attention.
I asked them if they read any other other articles in the newspaper, and nearly to a man they said no.
Give the people what they want! While that's an old Kinks song from the 80s - O'Jays, too. - but certainly an adage far older than that! Maybe.
In Japan, as in any other country, getting people to look at an ad is important. Of course, the ad must be done in a manner appropriate to one's brand.
Would Toshiba or Toyota utilize a marketing plan like this—-unlikely. They know the medium doesn't quite fit the image they wish to convey.
But a lot of companies probably would.
The brainchild of Absolute Territory PR (絶対領域), the company says that the number of women renting out a bit of space is increasing daily.
Absolute Territory PR takes its name from the Japanese phrase 'zettai ryouiki koukoku' (absolute territory).
Sounds interesting - but then you see how pervy it all is when you realize that the Japanese phrase is slang for 'the exposed bit of leg between a knee high sock and a skirt.'
Some people feel that this exposed bit of skin is drop dead sexy—sexier even than a bit of cleavage.
I will agree with this only because it is still a relatively new phenomenon… cleavage has been shown off for centuries… the mysteries of the leg - that's still a recent thing, sociologically speaking.
Heck… even if you look at cleavage (insert joke here), the concept of seeing exposed bottom boob seems to be more titillating than cleavage-exposed inside boob or top boobs pressed together.
Yes... I apparently have put some thought into this topic.
According to Absolute Territory PR, it only hires women over 18 who are willing to wear the stickers for a minimum of eight hours a day.
As well, they are expected to update their personal social media pages with pictures of their thigh-high ad over the course of the day - but only after they have over 20 social media followers.
Followers? I'm going to say stocking stalkers.
Will this be a success? Well, truth be told, it has a chance.
My issue is for the walking billboards, if you know what I mean about issue.
In this case - take a look at any of the advertisement stickers in the attached photos. Now, after you have realized you can't see up their skirt, can you actually read the advertisement?
Just how close do you have to get to read it?
Pretty damn close.
Japan has long had boundary issues. Whether it's keeping people out of their country, or wanting and thus grabbing whatever and whomever they want - often in a sexual assault kind of way.
We can all laugh at the silly way this ad campaign is being processed, but when you stand back and take a good hard look, unless the product being hawked is for a sex-industry-related product (including pharmaceuticals) just what sort o clientele are you trying to entice.
"Uh, yeah… mum, like I saw your ad on Kimiko-chan over at the corner of unnamed-street and what-street-sign avenue, and like I just had to come over. Twice. And then I thought… yes, I do want a bowl of ramen noodles. And a bit of pram please… know what I mean? Nudge-nudge-wink-wink."
Seriously. Yes, sex sells. Everyone recalls the sexy Dorito's girl doing the splits while catching a chip in her mouth at the laundromat (HERE), or the Godaddy.com commercials (montage HERE).
But, you better believe there's also a lot of negative flack (as opposed to positive flack) that goes with these popular ads.
But to me, walking around in a short skirt is one thing, walking around in a skirt and needing to have people stare at your legs to see an advertisement is a whole new level of skankiness - and I don't mind skanky.
But this just seems like its going to invite trouble for these young women trying to earn an 'honest buck.'
Man… I think I'm getting old… and I'm using the word 'but' too much to start a sentence.
Thanks to MH for the lead!
Cheers
Andrew Joseph
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