Another sweltering subway commute. You don’t notice the people coming and going from your train, or the ads peppering the inside of the car.
You’ve conditioned yourself to block it all out. At the next stop, a gaggle of people walks in. Arms go up to hold on to a strap and, BOOM, you’re staring at an ad. In a woman’s armpit. You’re noticing advertising now, aren’t you? And it’s all courtesy of a company in Japan that’s selling ad space on the armpits of young models.
Wakino Ad Company (“Waki” is Japanese for “armpit”) is relatively new and it’s unclear how well stickers placed on armpits will be received or even revealed in the first place. Holding a handrail on the subway or stretching arms skyward makes sense but it doesn’t seem like there are too many options to get some armpit ad impressions in. Additionally, it’s not known whether the Japanese models will be more like brand ambassadors or simply billboards.
