The Campaign

In the unique Japanese market, restrictions imposed by TV stations and broadcasting companies are actually not on branded entertainment, but instead, on the direct selling category itself. The direct selling category’s image was tarnished by scandals throughout the 80s and 90s. When Amway first entered the market, many Amway distributors took the business opportunity too far. Stories spread widely about Amway distributors coercing family and friends into the Amway system to make money quickly. The Japanese media sensationalized the issues, so many people consider Amway a “cult.” The perception exists that by joining a direct selling organization, you are exploiting your friends and family – to the degree that many believe that their family/friends would cut off all ties if they started an Amway business. As the highest profile direct selling company, Amway has become a lightning rod for all negative associations with the business model. As a result, TV stations’ screening and clearance of advertising became very strict, out of concern for their own image. And Amway and other direct selling companies have never passed censorship by TV networks, leaving Amway and the category effectively without a voice in a country where TV is still the main medium.

In a high-context culture where indirect messages and visual communications are preferred, characters are a powerful approach to connect with Japanese in a relevant way. The creation of a proprietary (iconic) spokesperson, O-chan, provided the target with new, unexpected insights into how Amway supports “sharing” in their daily life – cultural festivities, daily interactions, etc. The Osusowake concept was highly relevant and O-chan was very well-liked in campaign tracking research. The osusowake platform demonstrated its flexibility with the multi-channel campaign to heighten internal and external brand engagement so together, Osusowake and O-chan communicated a strong, consistent message strategically and creatively.

In its reputation-building corporate campaign, Amway needed to communicate its “you first, me second” philosophy and how it aligns with Japanese values. Solution: Osusowake – a Japanese custom of sharing, reflecting the brand and consumers’ common belief of “sharing good things with others.” But the direct selling category and Amway brand have such a negative image that traditional advertising just would not work because it risked backlash. So how to communicate this in an acceptable and relevant way? We created O-chan the character. Featured on YouTube, local video sites, and supported by TV, print, OOH, o-chan provided a new level of communication access and flexibility for the campaign. It effectively visualized an abstract idea in an engaging and relevant way. For the first time, the campaign reinterpreted the Japanese culture of sharing in a contemporary manner and attracted positive conversation about Amway.