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healthy japan

"Japan is the second largest health and wellness confectionery market in the world after the US, worth nearly US$3bn in 2006, according to Euromonitor."
source- Confectionerynew.com June 2006

China has 156 million vehicles

From Adage China - today

"China had nearly 156 million vehicles--55 million cars and 85 million motorcycles--by the end of September, up 7.4% compared with the end of last year. The number of drivers increased 7% to 160.6 million during the same period. China is now the world's second largest auto market after the U.S.Source: Xinhua News Agency "

Tokyo Interactive Architecture

Check it out.

More evidence of NO TV

"Last year, Nike spent just 33 percent of its $678 million United States advertising budget on ads with television networks and other traditional media companies. That's down from 55 percent 10 years ago, according to the trade publication Advertising Age.

True, Nike increased its spending on traditional media in the United States by 3 percent from 2003 to 2006, to $220.5 million. But in the same period, it increased its nonmedia ad spending 33 percent, to $457.9 million, according to the Advertising Age data. "

source: NY Times OCT 2007

Awards in Japan

Worth considering - courtesy of Masa

A class
- ACC : Award for TVCs. entry deadline = July
- TOKYO ADC: entry deadline = April
- TCC: Award for copywriting. entry deadline = March

B class
- Dentsu Award: Sponsered by Dentsu. entry deadline = OCTOBER & APRIL
- Asahi Ad Award: Award for newspaper ads. entry deadline = January
- Mainichi Ad Award: Award for newspaper ads. entry deadline = January
- IAA AWARD = TVC made in Japan for foreign countries. entry deadline = June
- Fuji-sankei Award: entry deadline = December
- JR poster gran-prix: Posters & signboards posted within JR stations&trains. entry deadline = July

Google fun fact

"According to comScore's qSearch 2.0 service, more than 37 billion searches worldwide went through Google in August. That's about 60 percent of all searches, higher than Google's 50 percent in the United States. ... ComScore estimates that about 750 million people worldwide used Internet search in August, each person averaging about 80 searches."

2nd - Yahoo Inc. :  8.5 billion

3rd - Baidu : 3.3 billion

4th - Microsoft Corp. : 2.2 billion

5th - NHN : 2 billion

Source: MSNBC Oct 2007 Study: Google dominates worldwide search

levi's concept shopsss

  Levi's Japan opens 2 new concept stores in the hot shop spot harajuku/ ometesando areas.  Store 1 calle Arcuate features Levi's Lady's Style + D for Devon Aoki co-design line.  Store 2 called Elesco features the sporty Flu line.  Tough to locate so make sure to use the map - Arcuate & Elesco

other stores Tab Device & Levi's Vintage Clothing

=Arcuate

=Elesco

=Tab Device

=Levi's Vintage Clothing

Say no to plastic bags

Today is "No-plastic bags Day" accross Japan in a campaign effort to help reduce CO2.  1 plastic bag saves 61g of CO2.

myspace vs facebook

Taken from a CNN money.com article on Sept 19 2007

"MySpace is the most trafficked website in the U.S.: It registered 45 billion page views in July, according to comScore Media Metrix. Another research firm, Compete.com, calculates that Americans spend about 12% of all their Internet time there.

And apparently it's not just kids anymore - about half of its members are over 35. Murdoch bought MySpace in 2005 when it had $23 million in revenues; he recently told analysts that in the fiscal year beginning in July, it will take in $800 million, with a profit margin greater than 20%.

Hillary Clinton has 135,000 friends, and Barack Obama has 175,000. The recent movie Bratz accumulated 42,000. Victoria's Secret PINK brand has 210,000. Comedian Dane Cook has the most friends of all - more than two million.

Abercrombie & Fitch enjoys a 167,000-member group created by a fan without any involvement from the retailer."

click here for full article

"同調査によれば、中高生が1日に携帯電話を利用する時間は、5時間以上が最多で25％。これに、2時間までが23％、3時間までが17％で続いた。"  yahoo news Sept 13, 2007

neverending picture

http://zoomquilt2.madmindworx.com/zoomquilt2.swf

Japanese youth - no ambition? no motivation?

data from today's Asahi Newspaper shows that 43% of Japanese youth want a "nonbiri" (easy-going life) as compared to only 14% of American youth who think the same....18% in China, and 22% in Korea.

(see 2nd index)

 

GUNDAM

think Transformers are hot? - collabo GUNDAM t-shirt soon to go on sale in Japan for 2,000 US dollars!

source - Nihon Keizai Shinbun

Sample Lab

Sample Lab is a shop which collects only samples of newly launched products. From juice, sapliment, food  to drink such as chu-hi. You have to pay 1300yen (about 11USD) for annual resister fee, yet you can take 10 items per day for free. Some samples require you to answer certain questions to take. Location: Omotesando/Harajuku area.

How would you describe Japan and Yankee?

This is from Golden Egg, a cult cartoon in Japan. Its lesson about a scout actors for a movie. Yoko's translation work is impressive.

Axe in Nikkei (Newspaper)'s Trendy 2007 Hit Product Survey

   

The impact and popularity of the Axe campaign has been shown again by its inclusion in Nikkei Newspaper's 2007 Hit Product Survey. Listed at No. 10, in this respected ranking, which looks only at brands that become so popular they crossover into iconic status. The list is as follows:

1. Wii and Wii Sports

2. Crocs

3. Billy's Boot Camp (which the Axercise DVD promo parodies)

4. Mayor of Miyazaki Prefecture, Higashi Kunibara

5. Crispy Kreme

6. Pasmo (transport smart card allowing access to trains, buses and different subway services)

7. Life Bank

8. Friction Ball (ballpoint ben)

9. Tokyo Midtown shopping complex

10. Axe

11. McDonald's Mega Mac

12. ACUO breath freshening gum

13. Balsan Ice Pestkiller (kills bugs with ice)

14. Arauno self-cleaning toilet

15. Kampoyaku Chinese supplement

Download nikkei_trend_ranking_2007.pdf

Would "character" be almighty in Japan?

NOVA is the biggest English school in Japan. Recently they've suspended business by goverment because of some illegal contracts. Please look at the photo below from their press conference. The pink bunny is NOVA's mascot "NOVA Usagi(rabbit)". The bunny is one of the most popular characters in Japanese advertising. Are they serious? or trying to get people laugh at themselve?
Here is the original article from Jiji Tsushin/Yahoo

youtube nippon!

check out youtube japan... they even have their own promo video.  Interestingly the Nike cosplay viral is at the top of recommended videos to watch.

fields of art

small town in Aomori of a little more than 8000 people is attractiung tourist from all over Japan with their artwork.  Using modern technogoly to calculate and map out designs using the field as a canvas- farmers and  guests together plant crops to create pieces of art. details in japanese only

keitai mail

Tokyu ad agency found massive usage of Keitai (cell phone) mail among Junior High and High school students.
31% of them receive more than 41mails a day

19% of them receive 11 to 20 mails

18% of them receive 6 to 10 mails

15% receive 21 to 30

10% receive 1 to 5 mails

source: yomiuri shinbum

Miss Universe

20 yr old Riyo Mori from small town Shizuoka was crowned Miss. Universe 2007.  whether she deserves it or not it's been 50 years since Japan's last win.  Poor miss. USA slipped and fell in the evening gown competition finished 5th place.

ds-ism

According to Fuji TV today, Ninendo DS has sold 16million to date in Japan alone.  now being used by schools to promote FUN education - what will happen next?  interestingly, this method was first tested on 40 kids 2 years ago with SONY PSPs....

source: mainichi daily news may 2007

Music video for SOUR

(using my after hours)
I made a music video for a band called SOUR.
It's going on air end this month, but it's already up on youtube.

Done all by my hands.
Enjoy!

/masa

 

the break up

(sent to us by a fellower uk-bbher- thanks!)

"She is a consumer.

He is an advertiser.

All she wants is genuine affection.

All she gets is loyalty reduction. "

The Break Up
Uploaded by geertdesager

the brand gap

a recent find on slideshare.... this is how it's done

if dummies ran the world

Interesting spot by spy films to promote seatbelt safety for Finnish Ministry of Transport

boo hoo for you!

Viral (?) campaign sums up why japanese phones are better.... for more info check out the site.

Ads for Drinks Vending Machine

Another vending machine post: plastic bamboo reports that Apex corp, a vending machine company, has introduced a new system where people can watch a 30 second ad instead of paying for their drink. Spend 30 seconds watching an ad or pay 70 yen for your drink? hmm

vending machiniac

AMPM japan has decided that a convenience store on every corner is not convenient enough for the Japanese salaryman.  So within year 07, ampm plans to set up 350 new-wave vending machines that will sell ready-made food - BENTOS (meal boxes), onigiris (rice balls), sandwiches, etc. - and up to 40 other everyday products.  click here for the japanese article.

Beatport Player

Beatport is the world's biggest electronic music download site. Their site has one of the best layouts we've come across for music downloads. They also do this great track player, which is updated with the top 10 tracks from a genre (house/ minimal etc) or artist...