Usually when I look at adverts, I can see the ideas that underpin them. Even with the Mercedes adverts a couple of weeks ago, where they didn’t relate to the car, it was obviously building a brand more than anything else. However, there is an entire genre of adverts (adverts can have genres right?) that I can’t begin to understand. In what is going to no doubt become a regular part of this blog, here is a post about an advert from Japan:
If for some reason, you cannot see what is going on in the advert, I’ll attempt to explain what is going on:
0:01-0:05 Ah ok, I see a child walking home from school, judging from the comic book-esque thought bubble, he’s unhappy about something. And there’s a dog too. Although there’s something not right about it.
0:06-0:07 Apparently the dog has stopped the child. By putting his paw on his shoulder. From a standing position.
0:08-0:09 What the hell is going on? Why does that dog have a disembodied ear? He appears to have a message written on some paper, my ability to read Japanese is a little shaky, but I can’t see any way that couldn’t be a threat. Judging by the kid’s grave expression, I think its safe to assume that that ear has been taken from one of his parents. We could well have a hostage situation here.
0:10-0:12 Ok, I didn’t think it was possible, but this advert has got even more odd. The dog now has the head of a doll. Still holding the message, in addition to some sort of racket? The kid has taken this remarkably in his stride, still stoically mourning the loss of his parents.
0:13-0:16 Jesus Christ the dog is mobile: Doing some sort of curious dance, then walking on its hands, mysteriously donning a pair of shorts to do a handstand in (I think by this point its safe to accept that it is in fact a man in a fairly unconvincing dog suit).
0:17-0:20 Er, a doggy fan dance, and not a particularly good one, as it’s doing a very poor job of covering up its pubic region. Thank god it’s been neutered.
0:21 I see the kid has obviously forgotten the sorry matter of this dog taking his parents hostage (probably), choosing instead to chase a bit of tail.
0:22-0:23 Oh no, the dog’s back in an intense shot that lingers a little uncomfortably. He looks mad. I think those poor children are next. Is nothing sacred?
0:24-0:30 My mistake, apparently he has a peace offering. Something in a packet (damn my poor grasp of Japanese), apparently crisps. Yeah, that’ll bring back his parents. And canine star jumps. Nothing about this advert makes any sense.
As far as I can tell, the message behind this advert is “Hi kids, eat Calbee potato chips or a guy dressed as dog will take your parents hostage and perform clumsy burlesque in your garden”. Perhaps this is a cultural in-joke that I don’t understand.
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