-
Optus pulls Australian commercial from YouTube following complaints from Japan
投稿日 2019年6月20日 22:10:26 (ニュース)
-
続・お知らせ。海外セレブゴシップ&ニュース
-
お知らせ
-
We spot the legendary dekotora Aki Kannon, dedicated to actress and singer Aki Yashiro
-
New Pokémon GU collaboration dresses all the family, including babies for the first time
-
How do European Cup Noodles taste to a Japanese palate?
-
We’ve been doing it wrong – Japanese genius shows us how we should all be making sandwiches【Pics】
-
The future is now with full face sunglasses
-
Natto-infused ramen is a thing — we tried it, we love it【Taste test】
-
Jellyfish and Halloween in perfect harmony at Sumida Aquarium event
-
Japanese toilet paper collection opens our minds as we open our butts
-
Aomori police on the lookout for man shouting unsolicited advice at kids about dating and ramen
-
Former Arashi members Sho Sakurai and Masaki Aiba get married… Wait, that didn’t come out right
-
Creator of Japan’s longest-running manga, Golgo 13, passes away, leaves fans one last gift
-
Crazy cheap cosplay at Daiso? How to transform into Dragon Ball’s Vegeta at the discount shop
-
7 Halloween-themed afternoon teas you won’t want to miss this year
-
Krispy Kreme Japan creates doughnut burgers that are a meal and two desserts all in one【Photos】
-
Get in the damn drift car, Shinji? Evangelion Tomika toy brings D1 machine home in miniature form
-
Demon Slayer Nichiren Blades ready for new duty: Slicing through your sweets as dessert knives
-
Man in Japan arrested for breaking into ex-girlfriend’s apartment to steal her Nintendo Switch
-
The Japanese Internet chooses the top too-sexy-for-their-own-good male voices in anime
-
First-ever Studio Ghibli x Russell Athletic range pays homage to My Neighbour Totoro
-
Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan announces first expansion with new Donkey Kong area
-
Cup Noodle pouch satisfies our never-ending need for instant ramen
-
Retro Japanese train is our new favourite office space
-
How do Japanese fans feel about Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop opening sequence?
-
We try Uniqlo coffee at first-ever cafe inside Ginza flagship store
-
The number of elderly people in Japan this year has yet again smashed multiple records
-
Mr. Sato broadens his home drinking horizons at Kaldi【Japan’s Best Home Senbero】
-
We try Japanese Twitter’s newest trend the Penguin Egg, end up hatching something very disturbing
-
Takoyaki makers surprisingly good at grilling meat for yakiniku too
Sponsored Link
In Australia, Optus is the second largest telecommunications company in the country, with thousands of customers signed up to their network of phone, mobile phone, Internet, and cable television services.
While they’re well-known in Australia, Optus is yet to make a name for itself abroad — that is until a few days ago, when the company made news in Japan for a controversial commercial that left locals fuming.
The ad, which was broadcast nationally on Free-to-Air TV in Australia throughout May, was one of four commercials in a “Choose Smarter” ad campaign designed to encourage mobile phone users to purchase the Galaxy S10 from Optus.
Called “Wasabi“, the ad shows two Caucasian women sitting at a table in a Japanese restaurant, with the Japanese national anthem playing in the background as the older woman says, “This place is amazing. You been here much?” The younger woman replies with: “Many times. I love Japanese food. Especially the way they do the avocado.”
Optus quietly pulls Australian ad from YouTube after backlash from Japanese viewers. https://t.co/YRPjy15eUz
—
Oona McGee 🇯🇵🇮🇪🇦🇺 (@OonaMcGee) June 20, 2019
The ad was titled “Wasabi”. https://t.co/uN0uZle9LQ
—
Oona McGee 🇯🇵🇮🇪🇦🇺 (@OonaMcGee) June 20, 2019
At this point, the younger woman dips her chopsticks into a mound of wasabi–which she believes to be avocado–and puts a large serving of it into her mouth. With her mouth full of wasabi, her face contorts in pain and confusion as the voice-over kicks in with “Don’t follow a smart choice with a sloppy one.”
“Don’t follow a smart choice with a sloppy one.” https://t.co/D66AQSK5Gd
—
Oona McGee 🇯🇵🇮🇪🇦🇺 (@OonaMcGee) June 20, 2019
The ad then cuts to an image of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy Tab A 8.0, as the voice-over concludes with “When you choose the Samsung Galaxy S10, choose Optus.”
Ad was pulled from YouTube today following complaints from Japan. https://t.co/yuYxdoBkXn
—
Oona McGee 🇯🇵🇮🇪🇦🇺 (@OonaMcGee) June 20, 2019
Sponsored Link
The 15-second commercial was uploaded to the official Optus YouTube channel on 16 April, where it remained until today, when it mysteriously disappeared after dozens of angry comments from Japanese viewers started appearing in the comments section.
People in Japan were upset to see Japanese culture being used to promote South Korean company Samsung, leaving comments like:
“Using Japanese culture to promote a South Korean brand? What were they thinking?”
“This is deceiving the public into thinking Samsung is a Japanese product.”
“A South Korean product impersonating itself as Japanese?”
“Even with the Japanese national anthem playing in the background…this made me feel nauseous.”
“I’m sure even Korean people would be upset at the cultural misrepresentation.”
“Riding on the coattails of cool Japan culture is not cool. Why weren’t they at a Korean restaurant?”
Optus’ marketing team and creative agency Emotive, who developed the idea for the commercials, appear to have missed the advice doled out from their own slogan: “Don’t follow a smart choice with a sloppy one”.
Turning a blind eye to the longstanding cultural tensions between South Korea and Japan was a sloppy choice by Optus and one they appear to be acknowledging now, following the deletion of the ad from their official YouTube channel.
However, the quiet deletion comes with no official statement or apology from the company, so it will be interesting to see how Optus will handle the situation now that the issue is being brought to light in the English-language media.
Source: Hachima Kikou
Top image: Twitter/@oonamcgee
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Source: SORA NEWS24
Sponsored Link
最新情報