entertainment

AKB48 give smart look to men's suit maker in ad campaign

27 Comments

Popular all-girl AKB48 can even hawk men's suits -- they are appearing as the image characters for Haruyama Shoji's commercials for "Otokomae Suits."

In the commercial, six members of AKB48 -- Yuko Oshima, Yuki Kashiwagi, Haruna Kojima, Mariko Shinoda, Minami Takahashi and Mayu Watanabe -- perform a stylish dance with mannequin-looking professional dancers.

To promote the brand's message of "Always Looking Smart," AKB's 28th single, "UZA," which is known for its complex choreography, was used as background music.

Unlike the AKB members, the professional dancers had to endure some hardships, such as covering up their faces so they would look like mannequins. They have all collaborated with famous artists before.

The commercial will be aired in November.

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27 Comments
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Surely it's Haruka Kojima.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

So what's the message? Wear their suits and look as good as a little girl? LOL

2 ( +2 / -0 )

the professional dancers had to endure some hardships, such as

dancing with AKB 48.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Little girl? I think all these girls are 18 or older. i could be wrong. but doubt it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This does not compel me to buy a suit from them AT ALL

1 ( +4 / -3 )

the professional dancers had to endure some hardships, such as

borscht: dancing with AKB 48.

and the anonymity is a form of coup de grâce I guess,

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Popular"

They sure are! And they can sell anything!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The hottest by far is of course Mariko Shinoda, the tall girl with the short hair. She looks good in anything.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

They are just wonderful. The suit, stockings and boots look is just too good.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

On the trains around here they're selling pachinko. That particular nexus of mainstream Japanese culture makes me want to retch. When I ask the middle aged wankers at my co. who their favorite band is, you guessed it they all rave about girls their daughters' age.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

A classic suit with under age girls in street garb.

Throw in some C-notes for whimsy, and I'd say it was absolutely groundbreaking.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nothing new, is it? Sex sells. They are all hot by the way. I am sold! Noripinhead. I concur. She is smokin hot.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Smart look?! But it is sexy.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Should read:

In the commercial, six members of AKB48—Yuko Oshima, Yuki Kashiwagi, Haruna Kojima, Mariko Shinoda, Minami Takahashi and Mayu Watanabe— dress like asian prostitutes and attempt a dance with mannequin-looking professional dancers.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Yeah they are sexy and I don't care what they sell, as long as they are adults... The question is, are they? Or are they exploited 15 year olds?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I don't think any of them are that young. Mariko Shinoda is 26.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Just did a quick check, and of the army of AKB48 girls 11 are under 18, with the majority of them being in Team 4.

The girls in the photo are all over 18, with Mayu Watanabe being the only one under 20... hardly exploiting little girls.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

dress like asian prostitutes

they were founded as a burlesque group for otaku audience in Akihabara, close enough.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

dress like asian prostitutes

they were founded as a burlesque group for otaku audience in Akihabara, close enough.

Loving the amount of nasty comments on this topic... every time they are mentioned the usual posters trot out the old 'underage' stuff, comments about dirty old men and the like.

I don't like their music, but I don't slag them off.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I think JT purposley translates a high proportion of AKB48 related news just to get us foreigners going.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I can't wait for the next AKB48 related news!

@Nori & Onni - What about Tomomi?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Ummm... Normally I'm fairly neutral in regards to AKB48, but this ad campaign has me scratching my head. The actual suits are on faceless manniquins and the girls are in various stages of undress, so what's "smart" about this look? I see only two possible messages to be gleaned from this ad photo:

1: "Our suits are so nondescript that your face will not be remembered even when standing next to poorly dressed women."

2: "Our suits only attract women who are incapable of finishing getting dressed."

(OK, I grant that the second one might be an actual positive for some guys.) XD

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Please for the love of god can't we let go of this juvenile infatuation with these all dancing all singing amped up pixys?!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Shouldn't they have actually dressed up a bit themselves?

It's a decent marketing ploy by the fat cats, and nothing more, nothing less.

Predictably, the fools will fall for it and will be all the rage for a week or two earning the record company some cash, and the suit company too.

another part of "Japan's unique culture" raises its head again: this time it's the "having kids as role-models, not only for teenagers, but also middle aged men".

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

sorry akb.. i think i look much better in suits!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

They are NOT kids... as I said earlier, none of these girls in the photo are under 18, and only one is under 20. Do some research.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

First thing I thought of when I looked at this was Slender Man.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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