Ein Volk! Ein Reich! Ein Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ...

Now, Urban Dirt could be imagining things, but I'm not at all sure that Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ was thinking things through when it commissioned this cute cartoon character to front its latest campaign. I may be reading too much into the classic slick of hair and toothbrush moustache, but does this little fellow not  look a teensy-weensy bit like Adolf Hitler?

I mean, perhaps that was how MUFJ wanted it to look. Perhaps this is some sort of subliminal message to the market: watch out banking sector, we're coming to take you over! I suppose if that was indeed the message they were trying to get across, here is how the conversation with the Dentsu branding guys might have gone...

MUFJ man: We're planning to take over the entire banking sector. We may later consider an expansion into Europe. We're very interested in European emerging markets.

Dentsu man: Emerging markets?

MUFJ man: You know, Poland, Hungary, stuff like that...

Dentsu man: Oh, I see. So the sort of image you want is strong, decisive and expansionist?

MUFJ man: Yes, yes. Exactly. We need a famous consolidator...

Dentsu man: I think I have exactly the chap in mind. We can call the little guy "Ado-chan" to get the female customers...

Comments

[John Goodman]

Brilliant idea. I'll have to steal it for my next client...