Chemical firm Kao cancels #BeWhite project after employees point out racial connotations
Kao Corp., a major maker of toiletry and chemical products, suspended a promotional project Thursday the day after its launch after some of its employees pointed out the title could imply racial discrimination. Kao's #BeWhite project was aimed at encouraging households to split chores equally ...
Three contact lens makers raided in Japan over alleged violations of Antimonopoly Law
The Fair Trade Commission raided three contact lens makers Tuesday for allegedly forcing retailers not to list prices on their advertisements in violation of the Antimonopoly Law, it was learned Tuesday. The antitrust watchdog's on-site inspections covered Alcon Japan Ltd., CooperVision Japan Inc. and Seed ...
Consumer agency orders McDonald's Japan to pay ¥21 million for improper labeling of two items
McDonald’s Co.’s Japan unit was ordered to pay ¥21.7 million for improperly labeling ingredients for a burger and a muffin, the Consumer Affairs Agency said Friday. When the fast-food chain sold its Tokyo Roast Beef Burger and Tokyo Roast Beef Muffin products for two months ...
Japan's info protection panel considers beefing up protections for internet users' data
Japan is considering strengthening regulations against corporate IT giants like Amazon.com and Google LLC.
Facebook agrees to overhaul its ad system to settle U.S. discrimination suits
Facebook has agreed to change its paid advertising platform as part of a wide-ranging settlement to prevent discriminatory and "harmful" practices, the company and U.S. civil rights groups said on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Facebook will create a new advertising portal for ads linked to ...
In U.S., digital advertising spend set to overtake traditional: report
Spending on digital advertising is set to overtake that on traditional media in the United States for the first time in 2019, in a major milestone for the industry, a market tracking firm said Wednesday. The research firm eMarketer said digital ad spending in the ...
Twitter follows Facebook and Google in tightening EU political ad rules before election
Twitter said Tuesday it is tightening up rules for European Union political ads ahead of bloc-wide elections this spring, following similar moves by fellow tech giants Facebook and Google. The social media company said it is extending restrictions already in place for federal elections in ...
Japan's Reconstruction Agency to air ad for Fukushima products on TV, online and at cinemas
The Reconstruction Agency said Friday that it will run a television commercial advertising farm, fishery and forestry products made in Fukushima Prefecture for about a week from Saturday. The 30-second spot is aimed at dispelling harmful rumors about the safety of products from the prefecture ...
Feared or celebrated, Amazon's Alexa is star of Super Bowl ads
An android child struggles to control his emotions. Robots threaten to take away human jobs. And a voice-activated device ponders its own existence. These dark themes were explored by this year's Super Bowl commercials, with brands such as TurboTax, Olay and Sprint capitalizing on fears ...
With his eye on celestial billboards, Russian entrepreneur sparks debate about who owns the heavens
Some day soon, stargazers searching for answers in the night sky might see the logo of a soft drink company blazing past the Milky Way, or a promotional message from a fast food restaurant. That at least that is the hope of StartRocket, a Russian ...
Naomi Osaka sponsor Nissin retracts Cup Noodle YouTube ads after 'whitewashing' uproar
Following uproar over accusations of whitewashing, Nissin Foods Holdings Co. on Wednesday removed advertisements from YouTube featuring an animated depiction of tennis star Naomi Osaka. The cup noodle firm, which sponsors the U.S. Open women's champion, found itself in hot water with its campaign — ...
Someone lost their noodle making this new Nissin ad featuring Naomi Osaka
This month, cup noodle maker Nissin served up its animated "Hungry to win" ad campaign, drawn by "Prince of Tennis" artist Takeshi Konomi and featuring actual tennis prince Kei Nishikori and our newest bona fide global star, Naomi Osaka. I'd been anticipating Osaka's appearance since ...
