Some images just seem to sum up Japan for me somehow. Walking through a tunnel of torii arches in Kyoto, which represent the 108 temptations we’re subject to over the course of our lives. Seeing Mt. Fuji through the branches of a sakura tree in bloom. A Buddhist priest begging for alms in front of Louis Vuitton store in Ginza, or visitors to Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine washing down the KFC they’d just eaten with holy shrine water. Then there’s this picture, which shows a chorus line of attractive models employed by Japanese cellular carrier AU to promote its brand. They’re “campaign girls” which large companies hire through talent agencies for promotional events, and they’re similar to the “race queens” who promote interest in F-1 racing. (The reason these girls are all the same height is, their shoes are each made with custom sole thickness for each girl. Genius!) Marketing events using models like these are quite common in Japan, and I’ll never forget the time I was wandering around Shinjuku and a line of two dozen beautiful girls wearing “Swatch” watches and matching T-shirts came marching by, part of a brand awareness campaign. Before she met me my wife worked briefly as a campaign girl, but it wasn’t very glamorous: her job was to stand against a wall holding a “no smoking” sign while smiling.
A lineup of “campaign girls” promoting the AU brand. Do you find this awesome, strange or creepy?
