An advertisement[1] of a documentary on Japan that surfaced in Bangladesh media in mid-2019 was revealed to be a promotional ploy of Japan Tobacco Inc. (JTI).

Background

JTI acquired Dhaka Tobacco Industries (DTI), a concern of Akij Group of Bangladesh, for $1.47 billion (about BDT 12,430 crore) in 2018[2]. JTI’s acquisition was followed by a proliferation of cigarette brands and a robust multi-faceted promotional campaign[3] that violated the ban on tobacco advertisement in Bangladesh under Article 5 of Smoking and Tobacco Products (Usage) Control Act Amended (2013)[4] to some varying degrees.

In addition to the advertisement of JTI’s cigarette brands, in mid-2019, an advertisement of a documentary titled Footsteps of Tagore was broadcast in numerous Bangladeshi television channels. The promotional campaign for that documentary included wall posters, shop display boards, full-page advertisements on national dailies, as well as Google Ads on numerous websites. The content of the documentary, particularly its claim of an intrinsic quality of Japanese products strongly resembles JTI’s promotional angle. More importantly, all its promotional materials are identical to that of JTI, particularly the company’s brand logo and promotional slogan.

The Documentary and Its Advertisement

The documentary, Footsteps of Tagore, follows popular Bangladeshi media icon Mr. Tahsan Khan as he discovers different aspects of the Japanese culture. The two-part Footsteps of Tagore was premiered on May 22, 2019 on 8 different television channels between 9-10 pm.

A 31-second promotional video of the documentary was uploaded on a YouTube channel named ‘In the Footsteps of Rabindranath Tagore’[5]. Featuring Tahsan, the video begins by establishing a historical affiliation with Rabindranath Tagore, a widely revered poet[6] who shaped Bengali literature. The advertisement goes on saying,

‘In 1916, Rabindranath Tagore visited Japan for the first time and wrote his famed travelogue Japan Jatri. After 100 years, I (Tahsan) am following his footsteps in Japan with the book in my hand.’

In an interview to the Daily Star[7], it was revealed that Tahsan’s tour was supported by Japan External Trade Organization: JETRO[8]. JETRO is a ‘govt.-related’ organization that paves the way for Japanese investment and companies to foreign countries[9]. According to the official JETRO website, JETRO has an office in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Concealed Promotion of JTI

The slogan of the documentary, as portrayed in posters and video advertisements is, ‘In Search for the Unique Japanese Quality’. The word ‘Japanese Quality’ is JTI’s core promotional message in Bangladesh[10]. One of the major themes of the documentary is emphasizing on how Japanese businessmen follow the philosophy of Kaizen and manufacture their products with utmost care. The description in the promotional video uploaded on YouTube is as follows,

‘Join Tahsan Khan as he follows in the Footsteps of Rabindranath Tagore to discover the art of Japanese Quality!’

Tahsan, in his interview with the Daily Star, said,

‘In this trip, I realized how much soul the Japanese people put into whatever they do.... Even though they have state-of-the-art technology, their philosophy remains the same.... The makers of the watches [Citizen] told me that they still manufacture each of the products as if they made it for a family member. What a wonderful philosophy! ‘Kaizen’, the Japanese word for ‘improvement’, is not merely a word, but a philosophy. They strive hard to improve on their crafts every single day, and there is a lot to learn from them.” 

The slogan of the documentary and the background color on which it was promoted are completely identical to that of JTI. The Facebook fan page of the documentary also used the slogan in Hashtag form[11]. PROGGA, an anti-tobacco organization of Bangladesh, sent a Tobacco Industry Alert (TIA) regarding the documentary and its advertisement[12]. The alert states,

‘Such overwhelming media campaign on a single show is quite unprecedented. What exposed the true purpose of the show is the use of JTI brand color and slogan “Japanese Quality” in the promotional campaign, identical to ones used in promotion of JTI brand. It can be undoubtedly concluded that the sole purpose of this show is to promote JTI brand to Bangladeshi audience, to make this brand familiar.... This blatant promotion of JTI’s death trade, taking advantage of the Bard’s fair name, is despicable and it should be put to an end immediately.’

Aftermath

Footsteps of Tagore attracted widespread condemnation from anti-tobacco organizations of Bangladesh. In a human-chain organized by tobacco control organizations, activists demanded formal apology from Tahsan Khan for being involved in promotional activities of tobacco companies[13].

References