Adverts take over Osaka screen

(courtesy of the World CM Festival, Osaka)

Osaka is hosting the local version of the French-inspired La Nuit des Publivores -- or the Night of the Ad Eaters -- with an all-night screening of television commercials from around the world on November 20.

Osaka is hosting the local version of the French-inspired La Nuit des Publivores - or the Night of the Ad Eaters - with an all-night screening of television commercials from around the world on November 20.

The World CM Festival is one element of the ongoing Osaka European Film Festival and organizers expect around 2,500 people to be at the Osaka Kosei Nenkin Kaikan Hall in the city's Nishi Ward when it starts at 10:30 p.m.

More than 500 commercials will be shown before the final screening at 5:30 am. the following morning, with many famous names appearing.

Several of the ads that have been selected include Michael Jackson, while others feature Bill Gates and actor Jerry Seinfeld promoting Microsoft. The memorable T-Mobile flash commercial, involving more than 400 dancers at London's Liverpool Street Station, will also be screened.

"It is not such a serious event and we are not there to 'study' these commercials - it's all about having fun in a very informal atmosphere," said event spokesman Sebastian Bonidan.

"Of course, some of these campaigns are very serious - such as some of the anti-AIDS commercials from African countries - but the whole point is to have an interaction with the audience," he said.

Everyone attending the event will be given a "pachi-pachi," a toy that makes a mechanical clapping sound, which they can use to register approval for a particular advert.

Eleven cities across Japan will be holding similar events, which started here in 1999, but Osaka's version will be the largest.

La Nuit des Publivores was started in Paris in 1981 to showcase some of the most acclaimed, artistic and thought-provoking advertisements from around the world. Today, events are held in 40 countries around the world, although many have their own particular flavor.

"In Japan, television commercials are treated very differently from in France," said Bonidan. "Here, it is very common to see well-known actors, singers or other stars appearing in television commercials, but in France it is far less common for famous people to do the same."


Venue: Osaka Kosei Neinkin Kaikan Hall, Nishi Ward, Osaka, Japan

Time: 10:30 pm to 5:30 am

Tickets: Y4,300 (€32.40) for a reserved seat, Y3,500 (€26.35) for non-reserved seats and Y4,000 (€30) on the door.

More information: www.cmfestival.com/ or Tel. +81 92 843 7370.

JR