One of the amusing things about living in Japan is seeing what can only be described as “American branding,” selling a product by draping it in red, white and blue and associating it as closely as possible with the USA. Japanese generally see America as kakko ii — literally “good style” or cool — and love owning items like Zippo lighters, Coleman outdoor cooking gear and clothes from L.L. Bean. Branding your product as American can often bring a boost in sales, which is why the American restaurant chain Coco’s adds “The California Restaurant” to their signs here, and why Jack Daniels and KFC wrap their advertising messages in images of old Tennessee or Kentucky. Levi Strauss stumbled trying to build a name for themselves in Japan during the 1970s, until they hit on the idea of using iconic Hollywood stars like James Dean, John Wayne and even Marilyn Monroe to advertise their jeans (they came cheap, since they were dead), which has to have been one of the most successful advertising decisions ever.
Who doesn’t have a full set of Coleman outdoor gear?
