Manga Marketing: Harnessing character appeal for adults

Written by: Rebecca Milner on January 30, 2009 at 12:21 pm | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS | 5 Comments

We’ve mentioned that there are certain characters designed to appeal to adults, like Rilakkuma, whose images are used to promote products or services for the grown-up generation (remember the luxury hotel package?). Perhaps the most successful (and clever) example, however are the Bihada Ichizoku (Beautiful Skin Family) characters.

The tale of this animated family, renown for their beautiful skin, began as keitai shousetsu (mobile phone novel) on Girlswalker.com (naturally) in 2005. Then, a sheet facemask using the characters’ images (made by cosmetics company Love Labo) was offered through Girlswalker for a limited time—and sold a purported 60,000 items in one day. Since 2006 an extended series of Bihada Ichizoku beauty products have been available at drugstores nationwide and two years later the products are still a hit, having sold over 6,000,000 items in total and inspired comic books and an animated TV series.

TREND IMPACT
Characters are used in Japan for much more than this single example, and work across multiple industries. We examine this Macro Trend, connecting the dots across multiple industries within our Trendpool innovation database. To learn more about how this trend and others can inspire your own business and marketing efforts, click HERE to explore more.

Tags: Characters, Marketing, Mobile Novels, Women
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Disney Stitch USB humidifier steams your desk

Written by: Michael Keferl on November 20, 2008 at 4:35 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | 3 Comments

Coming soon from Runa Net, the Stitch Humidifier connects to your PC via USB or AC adapter and moisturizes your work space during the long, dry winter.

This is another in a long line of cool Japanese humidifiers that come out on the market every year, but this is one of the more unique. Character-loving OLs will no doubt eat this one up.

Tags: Characters, Disney, Humidifiers, Lifestyle
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Tama Depa, interactive Tamagotchi shop opens up

Written by: Rebecca Milner on October 2, 2008 at 2:21 am | In DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS | 2 Comments

We were pretty disappointed with the closing of Shamrock Air, the cute concept store with the aircraft-like interior that required shoppers to pre-register online for a boarding pass to enter. Taking its place at the highly visible entrance to Harajuku’s Takeshita Dori, however, is a new Tama Depa with a few nice concepts of its own.

Tama Depa, produced by Bandai, is a contraction for Tamagotchi Department Store, meaning the shop carries just about everything Tamagotchi you or your child could possibly want.

Not only to play with, but also to eat, as Tama Depa specializes in “Tamagotchi donuts” visible (and smell-able) from the street.

Fans who sign up for a Tama Depa membership online are rewarded with an animated version of the donut take-away case for their Circle Link avatar. Circle Link is an SNS forum for character loving school kids organized into “circles” for members who follow the same character.

And who wouldn’t want to be a fan of Tamagotchi in exchange for free (unfortunately virtual) donuts? Membership also promises more avatar goodies in the future as well as off-line event notification.

Another way to get your hands on virtual donuts is to pass by the front of the store. Here, an interactive monitor takes the faces of those standing in front and puts them on the screen with an animated donut in hand.

The inside (sorry, no photos) is also fully decked out with video screens.

The opening of Tama Depa, on September 20th, came just ahead of the announcement from Bandai that color tamagotchis are on the way.

Tags: Bandai, Characters, Digital POS, Harajuku, Retail, Tamagotchi
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Kinnikuman goes for gold, Gundam collects ash

Written by: Rebecca Milner on August 28, 2008 at 12:43 am | In MARKETING IDEAS | 1 Comment

While slime and Space Invaders are busy celebrating their 30th birthdays, manga icon Kinnikuman is feting a most important 29 this year. Two in Japanese is read “ni” and nine “ku.” Put them together and you get “niku,” get it?

In honor, Bandai is offering a commemorative premium solid gold figure that comes, fittingly, in a crystal capsule. (It should further be noted that while “kinniku” means muscle in Japanese, “kin” is the word for gold).

The made-to-order items (sorry, the deadline passed on August 21st) will reach collectors on Kinnikuman Day, August 29th. Bandai quotes an estimated cost of ¥49,350 but notes that the actual price will reflect the current market price for gold.

Meanwhile, Gundam needs no anniversary excuse to morph into any number of collectible, occasionally useful, goods. The latest is the Gundam Mobile Ashtray, in the design of the “Zaku” mobile suit.

This key holder model from Banpresto, while not quite solid gold, comes in a “classy metal finish” according to the press release. The mobile ashtray, popularized through the various styles offered at the Mobile Ashtray Museum, is Japan Tobacco’s attempt to marry two well-known local practices, smoking and product design.

See more examples here and here.

Tags: Bandai, Characters, JT, manga, Retro, Smoking
Category: MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Sugar Minuet, new characters from Sanrio

Written by: Rebecca Milner on August 19, 2008 at 11:37 am | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION | 4 Comments

Do not think that Sanrio is content to rest on the success of Hello Kitty, the powerhouse of cute is hard at work inventing new characters for the adoring hearts and minds of Japan’s youngest consumers (and their parents).

Sugarminuet, a pair of ballerina bunny sisters is the newest addition to the Sanrio family.

The older of the two is Ballet Usa (usa is short of usagi, or rabbit in Japanese), a make-up loving ballerina with a swan’s grace and pink fur. The younger is Prima Usa, a dreamy and romantic white bunny; both sport sparkly tiaras.

Debuting on August 8th, the pair have already established a line of goods that includes plush toys, stationary, and bags—all in a ballerina-esque blend of white and sugar pink and trimmed with ruffles, ribbons, and roses.

Sanrio’s other recent characters include Cherinacherine, two little bears who live in a cherry forest (born on June 16), and My Sweet Piano, an affectionate lamb with a strawberry cap and friend of My Melody (introduced on April 21).

Both line-ups of character goods featured fruit—cherries for Cherinacherine and strawberries for My Sweet Piano—a theme which coincided very nicely with the recent trend of sweet edibles as decorations for accessories.

Meanwhile, established Sanrio characters, the popular Sugar Bunnies, have been making recent appearances on Takara Tomy’s top-selling line up of kids’ kitchen toys, part of the cute cooking boom we covered here.

Tags: Characters, Fashion, Hello Kitty, Sanrio
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS