Introduction

R4 contains the headline and body copy of a magazine advertisement for an American product, Pro-Keds shoes. This advertisement appeared in the May 25th, 1995 issue of a young men's magazine Popeye. Popeye is a fashion-information magazine published twice a month targeted to young men in their late teens to early twenties. Circulation in 1995 is estimated to be 650,000 (Zasshi Shinbun Sookatarogu 1995).

Advertisements featuring American products for young men often emphasize the product's American-ness, for instance, by introducing the historical background of the company to build the image of an authentic and genuine American product. You will note many English words transcribed in katakana, which further add authenticity to the product.

Pre-reading tasks

1. What do you know about Japanese advertising? Have you seen any Japanese print, television or internet advertising? When marketing American products, what kind of advertising do you think will sell in Japan? Write in a memo format some of your thoughts in Japanese.

2. Have you seen advertisements of Japanese products outside Japan, in the United States or elsewhere? What kind of cultural images are portrayed in those advertisements? Do you think Japanese images will sell in the global market?