The Marketing Power of Anime Posted Sep 11, 2019
Where once anime – the highly lauded Japanese hand-drawn and computer generated genre of animation - was solely the domain of its home nation, today it’s found all over the world in many forms, from comic books, video games and TV cartoons to feature length films, clothing styles and trends, and even online casino slot games.
It’s true to say that anime has entered the global mainstream and consciousness. That’s why it’s increasingly being used as a powerful marketing tool in many industries, and why you can barely turn a corner without seeing someone sporting a T-shirt, backpack or some other item with some type of anime artwork emblazoned across it.
Anime is as ingrained in Japan as Karaoke and Sushi
This is particularly true of Japan, the birthplace of this novel and engaging animation format, where anime is regularly used to sell and market a wide array of products and services, particularly on TV. This is because anime is as ingrained in Japanese culture as Karaoke, Geishas, Sumo wrestling, Koi fish, Shinkansen (bullet trains) and sushi.
In fact, anime celebrated its 100th birthday in 2017. It’s hard to believe that this art form was born in 1917 as a series of ‘chalkboard’ i.e. or monochromatic drawings, which over the course of a century evolved and blossomed into the bright and colourful 3D & HD comics, video games, cartoons, prints and films popular around the world today.
Interestingly, what those earliest examples of anime have in common with their modern day contemporaries is the excitement they instill in their respective readers or viewers. There is something about the style of anime itself – coupled with content, of course – that is bold, exciting, dynamic and immediate, and therefore attention-grabbing.
Anime Ads Hold the Attention of Their Target Markets
That’s why anime is such an ideal marketing tool or ‘vehicle’ to sell and promote things – its ability to grab and,more importantly, hold the attention of its target market which is predominantly comprised of 10 to 29-year-olds.
In fact, according to a recent survey compiled by leading Japanese advertising and PR firm Dentsu, just over 64% of Japanese men and women aged 20 to 29 admitted to being a fan of anime in one form or another. That figure jumped to just over 72% for Japanese teenagers aged from 15 to 19.
With over 100 anime studios in Japan alone, there’s no shortage of anime producers local and foreign advertisers and marketers can turn to in order to help promote their wares and services. So it’s no wonder that marketers and advertisers in Japan (and beyond) are using anime to appeal to consumers within these target markets.
For instance, everyone in Japan is familiar with the attractive anime girl with the cute voice used to sell Pocky chocolate-coated biscuit sticks in TV commercials.
McDonalds, Disney, Mercedes and KFC have had the Anime Treatment
Equally well-known are the anime TV spots for products, brands, apps and companies including Watering KissMint, McDonalds, Meiji sweets, Suntory, Suntory, Japan Horse Racing (JRA), Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan Rail (JR), Taisei Corporation, GungHo Online Entertainment, Show By Rock (game app for iOS + Android), Jins PC (eye glasses), KFC, Kyoto Gakuen University, Mercedes Benz and countless others.
Of course, as a purely entertainment source anime has never been more mainstream than it is today which has a lot to do with Netflix, the global live-streaming service that gives subscribers access to TV shows, movies, documentaries and more in over 190 countries. Netflix has a large library of anime series, shows and films.
These include Violet Evergarden, Kuromukuro, Hellsing Ultimate, March Comes in Like a Lion, Devilman Crybaby, Cyborg 009: Call of Justice, Kakegurui, Sword Art Online, ID-0, BLAME!, Fate/Apocrypha, The Seven Deadly Sins, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, Fullmetal Alchemist, Vampire Knight, GANTZ:O, Rurouni Kenshin and HERO MASK.
Ghost in the Shell Received Mixed Reviews
When it comes to Hollywood’s contribution to anime, it’s had a few hits and misses over the years. Most recently, for instance, it was responsible for producing a live-action version of the internationally acclaimed Japanese anime story Ghost in the Shell (widely known as Mobile Armored Riot Police in Japan).
Released in 2017, while praised for its bold visuals and performance by its lead actress, it was criticized for failing to capture the atmosphere of its source material and casting Scarlett Johannsson in the lead instead of an Asian actress (as per the source material). Despite this, however, the movie still managed to exceed its budget at the box office.
Play Anime Online Slots for Real Money 24/7
Another Industry where the marketing power of anime has been felt is in the global online gambling industry, specifically online casinos with anime-themed video slots. If you are fan of Japanese and anime culture and you want to potentially win some money you must try anime-themed slots you can play 24/7 for real money or just for fun.
These include such renowned real money titles as Koi Princess, a 5 reel, 3 row and 20 pay line video slot from NetEnt; Sukura Fortune, a 5 reel 3 row 40 pay line video slot from Quickspin; Magical Stacks, a 5 reel 3 row 20 pay line video slot from Playtech; and Fortune Girl, a 5 reel 3 row and 15 pay line video slot from Microgaming.
Top Japanese Anime Online Slots
The Japanese anime online slots highlighted above are popular all over the world, but there are many more that are just as exciting and worthwhile to play. These include Matsuri slot, Super Graphics slot, Moon Princess slot, Ghost in the Shell slot and Super Graphics Super Lucky slot.
