Media influence…
Are you more likely to purchase something endorsed by a celebrity?
Cameron Diaz is the new face of SoftBank (Previously vodafone..I think David Beckham was the face of that) which is one of the main providers of mobile phones and mobile phone plans here in Japan…She is everywhere I look. On the train she pops up, in the supermarket, in magazines, on billboards…Just about everywhere. This one has one of the prime spots in Shibuya (And before that it was a giant billboard with Kimutaku promoting gatsby hair products….Yes…the one with the song that got stuck in everybody’s heads that I loved)
I am not sure it celebrity endorsement makes much difference in my buying habits. I think it probably did more in Australia where I could afford to go out and buy lots of stuff…especially make-up etc which always seems to be endorsed by celebrities…and hey who doesn’t want to look like that?
I guess celebrity endorsement works well in Japan…It seems to be everywhere but maybe I notice it more here. It must work well… Apparently well known celebrities are more likely to do endorsement here since they get paid lots and lots of money and apparently agree more readily to doing it here than in their homelands…I guess cos they would rather make fools of themselves on Japanese TV and in Japanese magazines and stuff than in their home counterparts (Some of the the main ones include Brad Pitt, Kevin Costner, David & Victoria Beckham and Richard Gere…Just to name a few) It is mainly with products they will never use or know nothing about so I guess that is why it is hard for me to take it seriously….I personally think that SoftBank, If they had to use a celebrity, should have gone with someone Japanese.
I am with Docomo, another mobile phone service provider… That said I have heard of others changing to SoftBank (vodafone) in recent months since it changed to SoftBank and started offering different deals and Cameron Diaz popped up as their mascot. There is research to show that a lot more Japanese (and also Chinese) people respond better to celebrity endorsement than other types of advertising while Americans and other more western cultures tend to be more indifferent to this type of advertising.
Does advertising and marketing have much effect on you? Do you think it is more on a sub-conscious level? At the moment the only thing that effects my spending habits is how much money I have…I really don’t think advertising of the media is making much difference these days…But perhaps it is and I am just not realizing…Maybe it was television that made me buy mandarins today…(Although I tend to think it was because we only had one left and Shumpei eats like 2 or 3 a day)
I had to write about this because she is starting to get on my nerves…Cameron Diaz I mean…Since she really is just popping up everywhere. Its enough to make me swear I will never ever switch to SoftBank…
Ps: Does anyone else think this is a shocking photo of Cameron Diaz? She looks tired or stoned or something…maybe even bored? All the billboards and ads I have seen have her looking this way…
PPS: A wiki link with some more information about foreign celebrity endorsement…
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I actually don’t mind the pic of Cameron, I like the color of her hair. You are right though, I think she was aiming for a subtle sultry look but comes off looking bored.
I personally dislike anything celebrity endorsed, I won’t buy Neutrogena cause Misha Barton has tainted it. I think there seems to be more celeb endorsement in Asia than here, cause I don’t notice it as much.
I don’t really bother trying make up which has celeb backing but I am normally always too pale to suit the awesome colors they promote.
For me, free samples or a wicked funny ad will earn a company my business.
I don’t like the pic of her – I wouldn’a picked her if you hadn’t pointed out who she was! Tho I don’t think I like her that much atm – I’ve been ready too many celeb gossip blogs talking about how much of a cow she is ;o)
I don’t really use makeup so not too affected by those ads, but one of my favourite smells is ‘Cool Water’ due to a free ad poster for it that came in a magazine that has THE hottest guy on it (I dunno who he is though!).
Jen- I know what you mean about funny ads. There are many here and the products always stick in my mind. Doesn’t neccesarily mean I go buy the stuff but it keeps me interested…Free Stuff is also cool. I guess that is why people advertise stuff on tissues packets and hand them out everywhere…I love free tissues…They aren’t crappy tissues either but usually quite useable…
I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I do wear makeup most days…Usually just some light powder foundation, mascara and lipgloss. And for a night out lipstick, eyeliner and maybe some blush…I think I tend to buy maybeline (sp?) mascara because of the ads…
Enny- I am so dissapointed that I will be missing your trip to Brisbane…It is my home stomping ground too and I really would like to meet you and everyone!
I love gossip magazines…maybe I should get into celeb gossip blogs also…
Interesting take. I haven’t heard people say they would refrain from buying something because it was celebrity-endorsed. As for me, I’ve been a subscriber since the J-Phone days (that’s what Softbank Mobile was called before it became Vodafone Japan). I was excited about the new flat-rate plan until I looked into it and found that it wasn’t necessarily a good deal at all. See my blog post about it for more information. http://misterjeremy.blogspot.com/2006/11/softbank-mobile-really-good-deal_12.html
Cameron certainly is giving off a look of distain. Perhaps a delibrate ploy? Use anyone else, and I won’t even consider your presence?
I don’t really care whether a product is endorsed by a celeb or not. That said, some celebs shit me so much, I probably won’t buy what they are flogging.
Hmm…I think she looks a little…contemptuous. Like “Just TRY to be as cool as me, mofo.” Or something like that.
Generally, celeb endorsements don’t work on me, but I have been known to buy miscellaneous products (mags, chocolate bars etc) because of clever ad campaigns. Oh, and I did have a ‘Rachel’ haircut in 1996. Does that count? Oh god, I hope that doesn’t count.
Me too! But we may get to meet in Japan still, so don’t get to upset ;o)
My fav gossip blog is “www.trent.blogspot.com”, followed by “www.perezhilton.com/” (who isn’t AS nice, but still interesting).
I love love love that bit in Lost in Translation where they have Bill Murray’s character photo with scotch but ‘with more intensity’. As a photographer, I love it.