Sunday, October 27, 2013

“He is so good at pronouncing R!”



(Please click the sub button for subtitles! Translation is really accurate.)

This is a most creative ad I’ve seen to present “globalization”. In East Asian countries, almost every enterprise requires its employees to use English sophisticatedly. Unfortunately, English – especially its pronunciation – is SO different from the language the local people use that this requirement sometimes can be extremely hard for some elder people who want good jobs or get promotion. In Japan, where there are many Fortune 500 corporations, this situation can be common.

I really appreciate the director set this story in a battle. It’s true that the competition in companies is fierce, and employees are always under pressure. And, here, the English is their weapons. “Soldiers” (office workers) are supposed to use this weapon to “fight” (well communicate) with “the enemy” (the new Boss from the west). This is a delicate metaphor. The actors performed well. All their movements and reactions are fluently, and dramatically. It's vivid. (BTW, the symbol on the flag is a bowl. LOL)

Besides, only at the very end of this ad, Nissin, a famous ramen (cup noodle) company, appeared with a chaotic battle background. This ad looks like a clip from a war movie, but finally the absorbed audience would realize: “Oh, it’s an ad!” Then they are more likely to remember the brands. Also, I appreciate the way Nissin used for, kind of, self-mockery. That’s brave! Though some people said there was nothing to do with the brand itself and the theme of the ad, the ad successfully impressed the audience. 

(I mean no offense here. My point is to show a good ad. =)


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