You and I both, Pocky!

Since it's debut in 1965, Pocky has become an globally iconic Japanese item. A national snack for all ages in Japan, it's also available in supermarkets or foreign grocery stores overseas (even at your local Wegmans).

These thin biscuit sticks covered with a coat of chocolate are not only wildly addictive, but also hassle-free, hence their overseas tagline as "The Super Snack." And health-wise, the calories of an entire pack is about the equivalent of three to five Oreos.


Because it's such a recognizable and popular snack in Japan, Pocky doesn't really need function-based advertising to introduce their product. Hence, they always tend to use "it" celebrities to stay relevant and hip.

Last year, they revealed a "mega-campaign" featuring four young actresses/singers. I think the cast was very well-chosen, for not only are the four charismatic and well-liked in Japan, they also each portray a different "persona" to appeal to all types of women.


(I don't know what they mean by "All New Pocky" since they always taste the same, but anyway).

One reason I like this campaign a lot is because their commercials have little dialogue and are easily understood even if you don't speak Japanese.
Here are the main 4 in their solo ads:






Note: in this commercial, people are playing a popular drinking game called "The King Game." Sticks are numbered 1 to however many people are playing, including one special "king" stick. Then people choose at random, and if you get the designated straw you become "King" and can order certain "numbers" to do whatever you want. E.g., the King may say 1 and 5 have to stand up and sing solo, and those with Sticks 1 and 5 have to then step out and do the required "task."


That catchy/annoying "song" in the background is the tagline for this campaign, with the girls repeating "You and I both, POCKY!" again and again. Good luck getting it out of your head!