One of the latest trends in Japanese advertising is the sign truck. They started appearing a few years ago, but these days if you go somewhere like Shinjuku or Shibuya, they’re everywhere. The trucks drive around and around in a short route through an area with a lot of people, and often play music as well.
According to the website of an ad agency that specializes in sign trucks, they’ll get seen by 400 people per kilometer, 48,000 people per day, and 1,056,000 people per month. They’re not cheap though, and a small 1-ton truck costs about a million yen ($10,000) per week. The big 40-ton trucks cost more than 2.5 million a week.
This one looks innocent and says “A must see for women who are worried about finding a job.” When you visit the website, though, it turns out its recruiting female sex workers.
Ikukuru is an Internet dating/marriage site.
This one is a singing duo called Nezumi&.Seiko
This truck advertises satellite TV.
If they’re out of your budget, you could try one of these ad-cycles (adokuru).
I wonder the effect of signtrucks if they were to be introduced into the UK en-masse. I can see the benefit of moving adverts so that they are not stuck in one geographical location all of the time. But to be honest I don’t see how they are so unique when surely advertising to people directly through the internet will reap more rewards, and the advertising is “more mobile”?
There’s a truck down here in Hiroshima that has a big painting of the atomic bomb dome, and fancy lettering below, saying, “No More Hiroshima!”
Uh, I think the guy meant “No More HiroshimaS”
Sometimes those details can be really important.
I have also seen these sign trucks in the Akihabara area.
How about those just wearing ad signs (board) and just walking around – for the ultra low budget!
Wow,,I wish there was such cool sign trucks in Sweden too…:(
Must be a new thing to Japan. We have these kind of signs all over the place in Australia.
Great info and love the pics, very informative.
This advertising is very creative..
its very good
nice advertising
was so cool