Has this company gone a step too far?

A lesson in how not to advertise or retail a translation device today, coming from a story reported on BBC trending. A promotional video was released for a new portable translation device and the video in question has sparked cries of sexual harassment and outrage. The advert for the device depicts a young Englishman named “Dean” who goes around to random women in Japan using the device in order to break down the language barriers and communicate with them, doesn’t sound too disturbing right?

The only problem is he wants a kiss, a move which has seen the advert and the actor himself widely criticised and been branded as ‘creepy’ and claims that the actor in the video is ‘sexually harassing’ the local women. This is after it appears in the video that some of the women did not react well to his advances with one even running away and another hitting him with her hand bag. Although not all the women seen in the video were afraid some actually responded well with giggles and one even reciprocating his advances and gives him a quick kiss in the final scene.

But all this outcry of harassment of these unsuspecting women have been shut down by the translation gadgets CEO who told BBC trending it was all an act and in fact all of the women involved in this video, seen as tasteless by some were all in on the act and were all paid actresses. The pressure of the negative reaction has seen the video now have a disclaimer saying everyone involved in the video are all paid actors. That however hasn’t stopped criticism of the advert to which some think is very low brow and degrading to oriental women and some even claiming that it adds to the stereotype that if you are European in Asia you can do as you like.

Whatever your views on this advert you cannot deny the fact that it has garnered much attention albeit which has seen it go viral and received more than five million views online. As the saying goes ‘All publicity is good publicity.’

What are your views?