A NEW series of multimedia advertisements by Ogilvy and Mather (O&M), boldly poking fun at Japanese imperialists during World War II, is expected to raise eyebrows when it hits Singapore's shores in February. The use of outright political satire is a technique employed very rarely in Singapore's conservative media landscape. One print ad spoofs wartime Japanese prime minister Hideki Tojo - whom the Japanese have often held in great esteem - saying that he had a "peculiar bladder condition" and would "wet his trousers whenever he heard gunfire".

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Another print ad trivialises the devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a mere accident. It goes on to say that only "seven civilians received slight chaffing and were discharged from hospital within the hour" and "a cat suffered third-degree burns on its front paw". The ads are commissioned by a non-profit federation based in San Carlos, California, called the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia...The ads were launched in Malaysia last Wednesday - the same day the country was invaded by Japan 69 years ago. Similarly, the advertisements have been slated to be rolled out in Singapore on Feb 8, when the Japanese invaded the island. Commenting on its audacious approach in using satire, an O&M statement said that the creative idea is "to distort Japan's version of history to a point of political satire, drawing attention to Japan's absurd attempt to rewrite history and practice of self-censorship"...more...