Passengers are going crazy for the mini futons, saying they wish they could snuggle up to them on their daily commute.
Whenever you ride a train in Tokyo, you’re likely to see people either with their eyes shut sleeping or with their heads down, fully engrossed in their messages or favourite mobile game.
So for companies trying get noticed with in-train advertisements, some extra thought and creative planning is often required, and one brand crushing the competition at the moment is famous bedding manufacturer Tokyo Nishikawa.
In business since 1566, Nishikawa has been providing quality sleep for people in Japan for centuries, and now they’ve got commuters wanting to tuck themselves into their bedding, thanks to a new ad campaign currently appearing onboard Tokyo subway trains.
東京西川の中吊りおもしろい。触りたかったけど、ひとりだと不審者なので触れず。 pic.twitter.com/x96Iu4hbu5
— あゆみ@フリーライター (@a_y__u___miiiii) November 26, 2018
Glossy poster ads usually hang down from the centre of Japanese trains, advertising everything from limited-edition drinks to holiday destinations, but now for a limited time there’s a new type of “poster” appearing, as Nishikawa have created mini “umou futons” instead of posters for their onboard advertising.
https://twitter.com/na_woods/status/1067370614468468737Umou futon is Japanese for “down-filled quilt”, and that’s exactly what these are, as they’re filled with the same quality goose down used in their full-size products.
#東京西川 の中吊り広告すごくない!?
— 関清香/マシンピラティス (@studioes731) November 27, 2018
羽毛布団そのまま! pic.twitter.com/d9mtZlipSK
The ad campaign began on 26 November, and since then train passengers have been tweeting photos of the fluffy “posters”, with many saying they’re desperate to feel them.
▼ “Tokyo Nishikawa’s hanging posters are so interesting. I wanted to touch them but I was on my own and didn’t want to look like a weirdo.”
東京西川の中吊りおもしろい。触りたかったけど、ひとりだと不審者なので触れず。 pic.twitter.com/x96Iu4hbu5
— あゆみ@フリーライター (@a_y__u___miiiii) November 26, 2018
Some passengers were tall enough and brave enough to reach up and touch them, showing just how plump and soft these “posters” are.
待って、電車の中吊り広告が布団なんだけど pic.twitter.com/kIirK1cklA
— たにはら (@dara_dara_happy) November 26, 2018
Written on the ad are the words, “Tokyo Nishikawa’s great-feeling goose-down futon” and “This is the beauty of waking up to down feathers”. According to the blurb in the middle, the “Fresh-Up” down they’ve manufactured for use in their products is two degrees warmer than regular down.
▼ If only all that warm down was positioned a little closer to our tired heads.
中吊り広告が羽毛布団になってる pic.twitter.com/ZlHCS8W6f7
— rin⊿E92🍎 (@xxPetrouchkaxx) November 26, 2018
According to Nishikawa, between 230-240 of these posters have been created, and are appearing on all nine lines of the Tokyo Metro subway system until 2 December.
Source: Net Lab
Featured image:Twitter/@sugaya_ayumu

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