生茶パンダ先生 :: Mr.Namacha Panda

Japanese marketing strategies never fail to impress me. The campaigns, genius packaging, off the hook ideas, etc. The thing is it never stops and ideas keep popping up. Brilliant ideas.


This Mr.Namacha Panda campaign from キリン(Kirin) has been the buzz lately. Their slogan is 「出た！生茶パンダせんせい！」 (Deta! Namacha Panda Sensei!) or "It's Out! Mr. Namacha Panda!", which probably comes from this campaign where a skinny green panda plushy stuffed in a pet bottle rolls out of the vending machine when you purchase the 生茶(Namacha) Drink. A lot of noise on this character lately and the realism in Mr.Namacha's personality is well received by many consumers.


I haven't purchased one yet so I'm not sure how it feels. But from first impression, there's Pros and Cons. I can imagine myself feeling very thirsty, in desperate need of some chillin tea to drench the cotton in my throat, chipping in chump change I have leftover from the month. The buttons light up and I choose the drink I want. This time it happens to be ice cold tea. With a release of the button I expect to hear a heavy mass gushing through the metal container landing in hastiness.
Instead I hear something feathery.

Only to find this skinny panda rolling out, stuffed in the bottle. I imagined how it would feel to see that smile on his face and what would happen. Here's what I got:

1. I'd smash the bottle on the floor
2. I'm gonna have to find some more chump change
3. If I happen to get the change, I'm gonna have to purchase another bottle
4. Now that I have my drink, I'm gonna have to carry this panda too, which I am not really interested in keeping, honestly
5. Should I even consider buying that drink again? What if I get another one?

Lets think on the brighter side then. Maybe I can sell it with a premium price later when the campaigns over. Either way I'm gonna buy a drink from a vending machine when I'm desperate. I'll go find a panda at a gift store.

Do note these are just exaggerations of what I may think when I really bought it in that situation. Overall I think the campaign is cool and I don't think the Japanese mind to spend an extra 150yen for another drink. It's kind of an small "atari" for them and they love it. In Hong Kong, I don't know. But I do wish to see more of these ideas coz it's getting really boring with the 'mini me bottle' straps on the bottle cap thing.

(UPDATE: My good friend in Japan -->щ(ﾟДﾟщ) confirmed the money comes with the bottle so you won't be left thirsty, which just perfected this campaign with no flaws. Perfect.)

Thanks щ(ﾟДﾟщ). No way I thought they'd be giving away money, I mean it's cash. Makes sense though now that you've mentioned it.