Yanagiya, a cosmetics brand that's based out of Japan, recently launched a new advertising campaign to promote its J-Gel product for men.
Rather than using a traditional model to show off the capabilities of the product however, Yanagiya decided to use a fictional one: Guile from the video game series Street Fighter. The character is known for his American military style, and his thick yellow-blonde hair that sticks straight up. In addition to featuring the muscular character in modeling shots, Yanagiya conducted a fake interview with Guile, to get an understanding of how he would use J-Gel to prevent his hair from falling out of place. The resulting interview includes bold statements from the fictional character such as, "A disturbed hairstyle leads to disorder of the heart. It’s not cool."
By using a character that's well-known amongst young Japanese males, Yanagiya captures the attention of their target demographic while promoting the power of J-Gel.
Video Game Character-Promoted Gels
Yanagiya’s J-Gel Campaign Features Guile from Street Fighter
Trend Themes
1. Character-promoted Gels - Using fictional characters to promote cosmetic products creates a unique and engaging advertising strategy.
2. Video Game Models - Utilizing video game characters as promotional models taps into the popularity of gaming culture.
3. Fake Interviews - Conducting fake interviews with fictional characters adds an element of entertainment and humor to marketing campaigns.
Industry Implications
1. Cosmetics - The cosmetics industry can explore integrating fictional characters into their advertising campaigns to attract a younger demographic.
2. Video Games - Collaborations between video game brands and cosmetics companies can create new opportunities for cross-marketing and product promotion.
3. Advertising and Marketing - The use of fake interviews with fictional characters can be adopted by advertising agencies to create memorable and engaging campaigns for their clients.