"ili" makes us ill

Sex sells. It’s true and you see it being used as a common ploy in many marketing strategies. Now, we’re not the Spanish inquisition nor are we purveyors of Victorian morality, so we can all come to accept a certain hint of sexuality when it comes to marketing a product.

The Tokyo based start-up, Logbar, decided to market their new device, the “wearable translater” (their spelling, not ours) with a YouTube video in advance for the product launch. Translation apps or devices, that offer all kinds of weird and wonderful translations, are interesting and engaging tools that enable people to come together despite major language barriers – or at least that’s the theory. The Logbar portable translation device supposedly listens to the wearer and then spits out an oral translation.

However, the pre-launch video for the Logbar “ili” was somewhat perturbing. In an attempt to show the functionality of the device, a Western man takes to the streets of Tokyo armed with the gadget. He’s not exactly going around town asking for directions to Shibuya or trying to order a square watermelon at Tsukiji market. Instead, he’s off to “try and kiss girls”. In reality, he’s badgering young women into kissing him in order to strengthen his own masculinity. At first, some of the girls seem quite amazed by the technology at his disposal. Nevertheless, it quickly becomes apparent that not everyone is so eager to participate.

You have to ask yourself whether the young man seems to think that Japanese women are permissive enough to give in to his demands. The colonial mentality and stereotypes around exotic 'Geisha' and submissive Asian women appear once again…

Logbar have an interesting slogan, “LOGBAR CREATES HAPPY NEXT DIALOGUE”, and it is certainly a questionable one. One of the Japanese women that is approached by the stranger is clearly distressed by his advances and so, she defends herself from him and his voyeur camera (0:48 on the YouTube video). You’ll also notice that the young man extends his arm in an attempt to touch the young woman. Japan is by no means a cold, clinical country where emotions are forbidden. However, in a culture where distance and respect are intertwined, the stranger’s attempts at touching her are a complete breach of any “HAPPY” dialogue. Languages are not just strings of words, there are also cultural elements and social conventions that need to be followed. Maybe that’s a point Logbar forgot to consider…

In short, how does badgering women for a kiss bring people and cultures together? Quite simply, it doesn’t.