Quote:
Originally Posted by Nagoyankee
The way I analyze the phenomenon of models in Japan often being Caucasian is that women often dispise other women who look prettier than themselves. I'm not saying that Caucasian women aren't pretty. But if a Japanese consumer finds a jacket worn by a beautiful Japanese model in a magazine,
it wouldn't arouse as much customer interest as it would when that same jacket was worn by a very pretty but very different-looking woman. If the model was clearly non-Japanese, the reader wouldn't feel as much rivalry or the need to even compare. Besides, we are so used to seeing foreign models in Japan since childhood that we seem to somehow subconciously think that modeling is more "their" profession than ours, just like what we tend to expect in the Eikaiwa teachers.
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Really? That's interesting.
I mean as a western consumer I would want to see a good looking person model a jacket regardless of race and could identify with any model in the jacket I want. Just as long as he's looking smart.
Also from a corporate perspective the only reason race would factor into anything would be if market research concluded that a particular style is more popular with a particular demographic. Or if a certain colour matched a certain skin tone.
Also what about modelling when it comes to selling things from perfume to wine to cars?
When sex appeal is used to sell in Japan... do they still use Caucasian models?