A Political Trip to the Supermarket
Extraordinarily bored, I found myself looking for hidden political messages as a walked down the drinks aisle last night. This is what happens when you read a LOT of news on a daily basis.
Technical note: If you are reading this from an RSS feed that strips images, you’re going to have to go to the original link on China Hearsay to see the two pics. That is, if you really think it’s worth the time.
This first one is not a new product, but in light of certain current events in the Middle East and Western China, the name jumped out at me. Sounds quite refreshing. I refer to the water, of course.
The second is some sort of new promotion or ad campaign by Yanjing Beer. I suppose the artwork and name here might be a reference to the fun, party-type atmosphere that one feels when imbibing a can of Yanjing. On the other hand, with the prominent red star strategically placed above the word “party,” I figured there was something else going on here. And hey, there’s no reason the Party can’t have its own beer, right?
reminds me of the first time i saw a “party school” in China and my first thought was “wow, how honest–in the US we call it ______ State University”
The first ad is an example of the brand owner (bottling company?) using overtones of forceful possession and sex to sell their product. In China, people are aware that Tibet is a beautiful, “young” (relative to China), exotic, small (petite), and virgin (unspoilt) land. These notions all apply to a young, petite, exotic beautiful girl (what many in China consider Tibet to be — see their tourism ads). The Chinese also know that Tibet had to be “tamed” through forceful occupation by their strong, virile military. So in the Chinese mind, this reference to “Tibet Springs” (which only appears in roman letters) can conjure images of a powerful person using force over a “pure” exotic young girl/wife.
(ASIDE: In China, Tibet is a young beautiful province owned by China — just as today, wives and girls are socially thought of as being “owned” by their husbands/parents. So using gentle-force against your female property is acceptable in their social fabric — not to rape but to dominate & control.)
The ad has (at least to me) these undertones. Even the “5100″ is written in flowing voluptuously rounded – almost romantic – calligraphy strokes. You didn’t show the bottles, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were also curvaceous or rounded somewhat. It’s not the first time sex (in this case with very subtle bondage undertones) was used to sell.
On the second ad you show, they’re using a double-entendre. The word “party” has two meanings – especially in China. So no matter if you’re a senior communist party official or a young rebel punkster, both will see one meaning that’s good/positive (supports their ideology), the other as a rebellious anti-”them”. This is important because it’s a Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde dichotomy. It plays on the notion that everyone has both behaviours in them — and this beer taps both personas. Being that in China it’s ONLY acceptable to let out your “Dr Jekyll persona” when you’re drunk, what better way to let your customers be both — in a beer ad. It’s saying “Show everyone you’re a cool, self-controlled communist party man (i.e., patriotic), but after you’ve drank a few (of our product) you’ll be the fun center-of-attention party animal you want to be. (You can have it both ways)”
Both examples show that good advertising deals in unspoken subtle emotions.