Thursday, May 21, 2009

New and Old

Asahi drinks today can be bought from this vending machine. It's the most succesfull way to promote your product, isn't it? Apart from the year these ads were made, beer is not originally from Japan, it's probably why they were and are trying to bring or to introduce Western lifestyle impression in the ad.
Let me copy paste some of Gary's comment on my previous post:
"The “beer lady” looks like a moga (“modern girl”) from the Taisho Period (1912-1936) モガ(モダンガール)。Any earlier and she’d be wearing a kimono and look like someone in this beer ad from the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912)."
In today's post, does the "beer gentleman" look like a moma ("modern man")? :).

Hiro San: Biiru ga suki desuka? (Do you like beer?)
Yuri San: Uun, chotto (Umm, not really)

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Your vending machines look much cooler than ours! And I like the poster/sign too.

Nancy said...

We love Japanese Beer and Sake too! Do they sell it in the machine?

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Henny, I can't my link to this blog to work...and so I left you an award on your other blog!!!! You can put it on both blogs as far as I'm concerned...They are both amazingly beautiful!!! I like this vending machine photo...what a pretty machine! That blue is gorgeous! I love brilliant color...especially the jewel tones! Lovely! ~Janine XO

Tall Gary said...

Thanks, Henny, I’m flattered.

First, there is some information about Modern Girls here. Their counterparts were Modern Boys.

Then, to answer your question, the man in the poster looks non-Japanese, maybe German because of the mustache and that beer stein with the lid. Putting such people in beer ads must be an old tradition because we can still see non-Japanese people in beer ads (if anyone knows Harrison Ford). Can you understand the joke? After Indiana Jones orders, the master calls out, “Beeru ippon” (which means - one beer {ビール一本}). But Indy says, “No. Kirin Beer.”

I must have made a thousand similar mistakes.

Kaori said...

I can't drink beer but I love the Calpis drinks :)

VP said...

More than modern he looks familiar:
Birra Moretti

joo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
joo said...

I love your blue machine, it's superb. As for man, well he might be from here - very familiar:)

henny said...

@ JM: I'm trying to count the total vending machines in Saijo :).
@frenchie4moi: beer yes, sake? I'll find out soon :).
@ Janine: Oh, Janine...XOXO :)
@ Gary: you made me "lol-ed", Harrison Ford? Never knew he did that:)
@ Kaori: Calpis rocks!
@ Pollicino: in Italian? Will try it.
@ VP: They're the same man? You're doing link now:)
@ Joo: a Polish man? I can't tell a Polish from a German :).

Thank you, All.

Unknown said...

I think this photo have great contrast; between the blue vending machine and the black wall, and between the modern machine and the not-so-modern poster. Great capture, Henny:-)