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Japanese air carrier All Nippon Airways has released new content for the company's "Is Japan Cool" marketing campaign.
The campaign has been going on for nearly a year now, providing potential visitors a deep look into the cultural and geographical tides of the nation.
From Ramen to Cosplay to Tokyo, the company has been doing a phenomenal job at sharing the comprehensive essence of Japan with would-be travelers.
As the company promotes in their announcement:
The ‘IS JAPAN COOL?’ project aims to give the world with an in-depth look at what makes Japan attractive as a culture and destination in order to generate demand for travel to Japan. So far, the site has introduced cities like Tokyo and Okinawa and various elements of Japan’s unique culture such as cosplay,kawaii, traditions and ramen to highlight the charms of Japan.
The content has been well received by foreigners, garnering more than 2.5 million YouTube views and over 600,000 website hits. With Tokyo having been picked to host the 2020 Olympics, the city is still fresh in people’s minds, and with Japan attracting increased attention from around the world, ANA has continued to promote ‘IS JAPAN COOL?’ to share what Japan has to offer, from its culture and traditions to anime and characters.
The latest addition to the series is "Shopping" - a look at all the various items available to sample and purchase during a visit to Japan.
The strangest part of the video is the foreign couple using their distinctive Lonely Planet guidebook - rather than a smartphone - to navigate the streets, perhaps due to the surprising dearth of public WiFi in Japan or simply just because that's what the kids are still doing.
Nonetheless, the video delivers a comprehensive look at the various shopping-related activities one can experience in Japan. The couple are wide-eyed and excited about everything around them - simultaneously annoying and yet reflecting what it's like to be immersed in a deeply foreign culture.
The new Shopping category is then dropped into the overall structure of the companion website, where users can vote on the relative coolness of specific activities.
This not only increases engagement and time-on-site, but also opens the promotion up to showcasing cultural specifics, such as Nambu ironware, using large photos and videos for each.
To date, the campaign has been quite successful according to public measures like Facebook likes and Twitter followers. The overall IS JAPAN COOL promotion has garnered 2,728 followers on Twitter and 39,437 likes on Facebook.
As a sales tie-in, the airline is offering companion fares as a further incentive to explore Japan. Regardless of the origin airline, travelers can purchase a one-segment domestic flight for 10,500 yen, including tax but not airport fees. The fare is valid for those with permanent residency outside of Japan, and eligible travelers must show proof of an international plane ticket to/from Japan.