David Blecken
Jan 24, 2019

Nissin pulls Naomi Osaka campaign after ‘whitening’ outcry

Company denies deliberate action, and vows to be more attuned to diversity issues.

Naomi Osaka at the Australian open versus the now-pulled Nissin video. (Upper left image: David Gray / AFP)
Naomi Osaka at the Australian open versus the now-pulled Nissin video. (Upper left image: David Gray / AFP)

Instant-noodle purveyor Nissin has apologised and pulled a campaign that drew criticism for portraying Haitian-Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, whom the brand sponsors, with light skin and Caucasian features.

The cartoon image of Osaka featured in a campaign for its Cup Noodle ramen brand. Social media pundits suggested that Nissin had tried to make Osaka more appealing to a homogenous Japanese audience.

Nissin is reported to have denied that the characterisation, which drew criticism on social media, was a deliberate attempt to “whitewash” Osaka. The company vowed to be more attuned to “diversity issues”.

Despite representing Japan in her profession, Osaka is based in the US and does not speak Japanese fluently. This has led to somewhat awkward interaction with the Japanese media, which some have seen as endearing. Her style also spawned a comedic parody.

Major Japanese brands have been known to make the occasional racial and ethnic blunder. In 2014, ANA pulled a campaign depicting westerners as having bulbous noses after it faced a social-media backlash.

Source:
Campaign India

Related Articles

Just Published

10 hours ago

South Korea fines Meta $15 million over data breach

Meta faces the multi-million dollar penalty for funnelling sensitive user data to advertisers, as South Korea tightens its privacy laws.

10 hours ago

Amazon India launches Creator Central to streamline ...

The platform will roll out to over 50,000 content creators in the Amazon Influencer Program in the coming weeks.

10 hours ago

Phyllis Project: Attempting to rewrite the script ...

The initiative aims to reshape DEI in APAC, empowering women to thrive in advertising through mentorship, community, and practical training.

12 hours ago

Skoda India banks on localised marketing to ...

The automobile company will focus on localisation with a digital-first approach to establish an emotional connection with consumers for the newly launched vehicle.