Product poetry
Check out this piece over at PingMag, which presents a serious discussion about what we call “Engrish” and what they call “product poetry.”
Even if you only stay on a short trip in Japan, you will get in touch with “product poetry”: small texts – almost like poems – written in a ‘foreign’ language and placed on several kinds of Japanese consumer goods. Anything from sandwiches to beer, energy drinks, cookies, cosmetics, stationary, home appliances, T-shirts and others. When we choose to write about “product poetry” respectfully, it is to introduce this detail of Japanese (packaging) design which developed a little life of its own. This article explains: 1. how ‘product poetry’ gives a product an overall foreign, non-Japanese touch; 2. how it creates a mystical fantasy world relating to the product – beyond it’s function (for those who can read it); 3. where the true beauty lies in the arrangement of these few lines of free, playful text.
Thanks to remora.
Poor Mari….she’s my favorite. If I ever become a j-pop singer and part of the...
so does this make remora a ‘product poet’ or a ‘poet in production’…. ahh well, we’ll leave that for him to decide.
robin… (still bowing very low)
April 9th, 2008 at 12:24 pmthank you very much EC for posting that – I have not read anything that so accurately explains and informs exactly what it is that we are seeing, when first encountering these things, upon arriving in Japan – in fact I think it should be distributed to visitors at the Airport.
It would clear up quite a few misconceptions and subsequent derisory comments…(I’ll stop there).
Again I’m grateful.
remora
April 9th, 2008 at 12:25 pmMaybe I’m cynical but I assumed the article was tongue-in-cheek, because ironically a lot of it amounts to little more than the empty verbiage that it purports to describe.
It’s talking up something that really is rather simple. It’s space-filler, fluff, covering up a lack, and it’s done in English precisely because, to most of the target market, it’s both cool and meaningless. And meaninglessness must be such a valuable time-saver in those busy design and marketing departments.
Any deeper analysis than that is giving it rather more gravity than it deserves.
Finally, here’s an interesting link – lorem ipsum.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:10 pmI think that the premise that the English written on those products is not intended for foreigners..I repeat NOT intended…holds water.
After all, Dentsu or whoever it is doesn’t bother to factor in the gaijin component of the market – we are irrelevant.
Your thoughts?
rem
April 9th, 2008 at 4:10 pmOf course it’s not meant for foreigners (do we mean English-speaking foreigners by this?). It’s not communication. It’s ornamentation.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:49 pmand this?
http://www.jstor.org/pss/2489409
oh dear! now we are into the tricky Barthe-an World of Semiotics and Signifiers..(in Japan no less)
I would really like to access that article, I’m guessing that there’s a lot of heavy ammunition that backs up my point of view…
and on that point, its only my personal point of view – I think the latest Engrish Post…”As you please..” sums the whole thing up very nicely.
rem.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:58 pmon the contrary overoften, it is communicating (a feeling or a whisper of an emotion) unfortunately not for us insensitive irrelevant gaijin..I thought that was spelt out very plain and clear in the PingMag article – I didn’t have to struggle to understand that.
By the way how many Western or Eastern advertising copywriters are conversant in Latin? – my guess is zero.
I’m sorry, but I fail to see the connection.
rem.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:11 pmChinese Engrish, but still funny
April 9th, 2008 at 7:03 pmriki. . . Now THAT is Engrish.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:46 pmWell remora, it generally communicates very little to me. We’re evidently moved by different things. And so the world goes round. But I don’t think it communicates much to the intended audience either. I think they probably pay it little or no attention.
I too fail to see the connection. Why bring it up?
April 9th, 2008 at 7:59 pmI think my basic reason for all of this, is to point out to English speaking gaijin in Japan, who time and again pour derision on these harmless little examples of Engrish and snigger, that.. whoa!..stop flattering yourselves..none of this is intended for your benefit.
Whatever, they might think about it – in the end it doesn’t matter.
It’s pure and simply a marketing tool – but at the same time as well (to me) they have a quirky charm.
and as to the Latin? – that link you found interesting – I assume was something to do with Mock Latin…just about as idiotic and banal as Mockney, frequently used by those day-trading spivs in London.
I am surprised that you took an interest in this – generally your concerns are with more weightier and highbrow matters.
your pal (?)
remora
April 9th, 2008 at 11:58 pmAt the time when products made in Japan were supposed to be cheap and bad, there was a word ” Hakurai ” which meant Western made high quality products. Along with that, English description on the product was considered cool and prestigious.
Still this custom is remaining to date and we see lots of meaningless Engrish ornaments on the products and same sort of ads on TV and magazines, etc.
Now this spread to other Asian countries and we see lots of similar Chenglish in China.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:49 amall well and good TU – now what accounts for the use of German on some products shown in the PingMag article..maybe a little bit of sentiment for the good old days of the Wartime Axis? (low blow rem)..I think not.
Maybe overoften was correct..maybe it is all just a load of overblown hyperbole written by a bunch of know-nothing advert Otaku.
*I’ll just contentedly remain in ignorance, and believe that there is some truth in the article.*
remora
April 10th, 2008 at 5:51 amThose can be any West European languages. That’s a kind of Japanese yearning for Western culture.
By the way, If you check the names of condominiums or flats in Japan, you notice they often have English, French, German or Italian names. These are normally related to housing such as mansion, home, residence, avenue, palace, (grand) maison, chateau, (Leben) Heim, and casa, but sometimes very strange names like ” Fairytale “, ” High Lark “, ” Sun Rose “, ” Park Front “, ” Sky Corpo “, ” Proud “, ” Happy Note “, ” Espoire (Hope) ” and so on.
http://www.cue.tv/catv-manshon.html
April 10th, 2008 at 3:48 pmits a bit late TU (thanks for your effort) I’ve decided that overoften is probably right – it’s all just a load of fatuous bunk.
signing off
remora
April 10th, 2008 at 4:05 pmjust a late thought TU – are there any condo’s that you have come across such as the Reichstag or Stalag Ichiban (or even better!)
Le Bastille
I could have taken a more noir-ish sweep on that, but keeping it in good taste on Japundit is kinda important (to me).
rem
April 11th, 2008 at 3:53 amnow here is my first remku of the Spring Saison 2009 – entitled
“Late Love is like Smart Footwear”
“Artistic Principles as a Set.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:24 amNullifies the consumation by many
– without tonic,
S
now Lets try that again!!: (Admin please take your finger off the KEY);
remku#1 – 2009
Title :“Late Love is like Smart Footwear”
“Artistic Principles as a Set.
Nullifies the consumation by many
- without tonic,
Smart Footwear”
thank you
remora
May 1st, 2009 at 9:30 amas a taster of the: remora poem construction group..we will deliver (over a period of 72 hours) the complete body of remku #3 (Summa Collection)…so please standby…some of us have to sleep & etc.
(*_*)
May 25th, 2009 at 1:56 pmnow,I am hoping (and sending the odd prayer wherever) that you crew behave yourselves while I am in transit and away – now please behave (Dame!! get off that couch Tsu-chan..)
*remora-prime*
(!_!)
May 25th, 2009 at 3:26 pmProduct Poetry – [copywriterstyle]
the You that is to Be.
a gestation of mystery – an elemental delinquent
Child of a fearful Sea.
(white spacial chorus);
to be carried – but not to carry.
to be held – not to hold.
to be fed – but not to feed.
to be given – not to give.
*White Space*
Well,the sky grew dark and the Wind strengthened,
the remora’s knew the Voyage was long.
despite the Ships Masters preparations..
something,something?..just might go wrong.
(white spacial chorus);
..to be continued.
May 25th, 2009 at 6:54 pm..swift,small-needing,vague yet clear,
the cold sweet silver,wrapped in round waves,
Quickened with touches of transporting fear.
(Leigh Hunt)
..to be cont’d..
May 26th, 2009 at 1:13 pm*pause* – now here is the musukashii tricky transitional phase – but any remora thats up to its Mustard can cross over.
May 27th, 2009 at 10:21 amthat easy quickstep between the wharf
and the Round-Table-Engrish post (on JAPUNDIT)
where I seemed to have a narrative direction?.
..I guess i’m a poor Slave of Appetite
rem
May 27th, 2009 at 1:46 pm*careful rem because this chunk is tricky*
enfonces dans les tenebres,
ne chercherez-vous pas une chandelle.
..quand ce vacher?
easy to speak but the Devil to get right..
May 28th, 2009 at 12:40 pmthe rest of this will have to be Francofried because I can be bothered with Eigo.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:29 pm