Thighvertising

This blog generally covers the usual methods of advertising; outdoor, print or television. I’ve also looked at different methods of online advertising but this is something different. Of course, the industry is volatile and often looking for new ways to reach consumers. Thighvertising is a method that definitely doesn’t fit into the normal parameters. A new Japanese trend that aims to capitalise on leering stares and turn a woman’s body into valuable ad space.

Creativeguerillamarketing.com wrote about the trend, in which PR and advertising agencies rent the space on a women’s thigh and apply a transfer tattoo of a brand’s logo or message, encouraging the girls to wear short skirts and high boots so the message appears extra prominent. The accompanying pictures are shocking to a Western audience who may view this act as demeaning, or just plain ridiculous.

Michael Keferl calls the trends validity into question in an article on AdAge. An American expat in Japan, Keferl describes the act as a media stunt performed for the PR company and rarely the company advertised. It seems that in Japan, creative agencies are often struggling to distinguish themselves just like their Western counterparts. As opposed to a trend, he describes this method as merely a handful of teenagers hired by the PR company for one day, to generate news stories both at home and abroad.

Could Thighvertising work? Possibly. Is it demeaning, strange to see something indicative of women being nothing more than a sexualised billboard? Perhaps. I don’t see the trend becoming anything more than a fad story that will be forgotten in the following months. Much like the John St.Prankvertising piece, agencies are coming up with new ways to make their names noticed and compete with big established entities, like DDB or BBDO. Sadly, in none of the articles I found on the trend could I identify the company responsible, a bad PR move by a PR company.