From wacky to wonderful, Japan is an ad man's paradise where anything goes.
1. KFC Chicken iPhone Case
KFC is kind of a big deal in Japan. So much so, that many Japanese people enjoy the tradition of "Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakki," or "Kentucky for Christmas," and no holiday table is complete without those 11 herbs and spices. With so much love for the chain, it's no surprise KFC decided to go big for the Colonel's birthday with several chicken-shaped computer accessories, including a mouse, keyboard, and USB stick. They even released an iPhone 5s case shaped like a drumstick, though with the iPhone 6 out now, they might have to size up to a breast or thigh.
2. No More Hero's Game Toilet Paper
Anyone who's ever played No More Heroes knows that creator Goichi Suda and executive producer Yasuhiro Wada must have a sick sense of humour. But if there were any doubt, the two men proved it when they passed out No More Heroes toilet paper for the game's release. Toilet paper certainly is an odd choice to promote anything, but the main character, Travis Touchdown, saves his progress on the john, so this promotion becomes a cheeky reference to this game detail.
3. 7-11's US$18,000 Evangelion Statue
It's easy to forget that 7-11 is a Japanese company. In fact, there are more 15,000 7-11's in Japan - almost twice as many as here in the States - and the store's coveted promos have run the gamut from Pokemon cards to Gundum figurines even to digital downloads for Nintendo's Animal Crossing. The folks at 7-11 outdid themselves for their recent Evangelion anime promotion, though, creating 2-meter-tall handmade steel statues in both traditional and 7-11 colour schemes. Two of the statues were given away via 7-11 Japan's Twitter and Facebook pages, while an additional 25 were available to buy for a cool 1.836 million yen (about US$18,000). They sold out in 2 minutes.
4. KitKat
When you talk about luck, no brand has enjoyed as much as KitKat has in Japan. When Nestle first agreed to manufacture the chocolate bar with Japanese confectionery Fujiya in 1973, they discovered that the well known phrase "kitto-katsu," which translates roughly to "you shall surely win," means good luck in Japanese. Today, KitKat is the top selling chocolate bar in Japan, with a mind boggling array of flavours and its very own boutique in the Tokyo department store, Seibu. Recently, Nestle teamed up with the Sanriku Railway, whose network was devastated by the 2011 tsunami, to donate 20 yen for every bar sold to the rebuilding project. In return, the railway will allow riders to use the wrappers as tickets valid for travel on the network to encourage tourism to the affected area.
5. Lotteria's Attack on Titan Burger Towers
What better way to promote the hit anime series about characters with larger-than-life appetites than with an absurdly oversized meal? You can order a 5-, 7-, or 10- patty stack, which arrives in its own Attack on Titan packaging featuring the "Colossal Titan." The whole thing will set you back about 2,000 yen - almost US$20 bucks - but comes with your choice of either a miniature 3D Manoeuvre Gear or Special Operations Sword key chain. Want fries with that? You can complete your meal with a bucket (yes, a bucket) roughly equal to 5 small french fries.
6. DMM.make and 3D Printed Setsu Figure
Photo: mino_ris/Twitter
The worldwide cat takeover has come to Japanese promotions, too. That darn Maru recently scored himself a promo for the Japanese clothier Uniqlo, and now a cat named Setsu is getting in on the action. By all appearances, Setsu is a beautiful white cat with blue eyes, but her sleeping state will haunt your worst nightmares. Prone to sleeping with her eyes open and tongue hanging out, Setsu won over many fans. Now her nightmare posture has been captured forever in this 3D-printed giveaway.
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