This is the creepiest commercial you've seen in a long time, right? Hitting the airways around 1986, millions of Japanese viewers agreed...and it was quickly pulled from Kleenex's advertising campaign, which featured this ad, and two similar. But, why is this commercial so darn creepy? And just what the heck is going on with that kid?!
According to internet sources, this popular Japanese urban legend got its start when viewers noted that the jingle for this song, which is actually an English-lyric version of "It's a Fine Day" by Jane and Barton, sounded an awful lot like a German curse-- "Die, die, everyone is cursed and will be killed."
After it was pulled, the rumors began to pour in. First it was said that the ad wasn't just pulled due to complaints of it being creepy, but that it was banned because people who watched it either died of mysterious circumstances or felt the overwhelming urge to commit suicide. Secondly, it was widely believed that the cursed commercial had led to the deaths of the entire cast and crew, and that not one person who worked on the commercial was alive at the time it aired.
One cameraman was rumored to have been burned to death in a freak mechanical failure with his sauna. The little boy had a whole list of things allegedly happen to him. Some milder accounts place him as the victim of horrific nightmares lasting for days after filming. In other versions of the legend, he isn't so lucky, either dying of organ failure from the toxicity of the paint used on his body, or decapitation resulting from being hit by a car.
The actress in the commercial may have had it worst of all. Legend states that she went insane after the filming, and either hung herself or is still rotting away in a catatonic state in a mental institution. Or, in my preferred telling, she became pregnant with the devil's child, and went insane. It's actually the actress who gives us the biggest piece of evidence that this story is nothing more than an urban legend. Her name is Keiko Matsuzaka, and if she DID go insane after giving birth to a devil baby, she recovered well, still working on film and television projects as late as 2007.
So, as rational people, we can be reasonably sure that the entire curse is simply an urban legend...but that leaves the question of what is going on in this commercial? Well, as many sites that discuss this legend state, the child IS an ogre. More specifically, he is a type of being called an oni, which is a demon, devil, ogre, troll mash-up, basically. More specifically than THAT, he is an example of an Akaoni, or Red Demon.
The Akaoni is a pretty popular creature from Japanese folklore, and tends to show up in children's literature as a red critter, with green, moppish hair, a horn or two, and wearing tiger striped pants. The Akaoni makes a prominent appearance in the 1933 children's book by Kousuku Hamada, called Naita Akaoni, or, the Red Demon who cried.
It was also the basis for a character named Ten in the popular anime of the time period, Ursei Yatsura! In fact, it is widely speculated that the characters of Ten and Sakura, as seen below, were the inspiration for this commercial, as Kleenex tried to capitalize off a widely known television show airing in 1985-6. So, yeah, its a little creepy as far as commercials go, but its definitely not the creepiest thing I've seen come out of Japan!
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| Ten, from Urusei Yatsura |
It's a Fine Day Lyrics
The Horror Tree
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| Sakura, from Urusei Yatsura |
**Why the Famous 1980s Kleenex Commercial Felt So Unsettling**
ReplyDeleteSome advertisements are designed to be memorable, but the infamous **Kleenex commercial from Japan in the mid-1980s** managed to become memorable for a very different reason. Instead of creating a warm and comforting impression, the commercial left many viewers feeling genuinely uneasy, and its strange atmosphere has continued to fascinate people decades later.
At first glance, the concept does not seem particularly frightening. A woman sits with a child while a soft, theatrical song plays in the background. The setting is unusual, but nothing obviously dangerous is happening. Yet the combination of elements creates an atmosphere that feels completely out of place for a tissue advertisement.
The **child is probably the biggest reason** viewers find the commercial disturbing. His expression, pale appearance and unusual stillness contrast sharply with the innocent image normally associated with children in advertising. Rather than looking playful or cheerful, he appears strangely serious, which makes the entire scene feel unnatural.
The music also plays an important role. The gentle singing creates a contrast with the visuals, and when ordinary advertising imagery is combined with an eerie or unfamiliar sound, the result can trigger a strong emotional reaction. It is a classic example of how sound can change our interpretation of an otherwise harmless scene.
Another factor is the commercial's overall visual style. The warm colours and carefully staged composition seem almost dreamlike, but they do not provide the reassuring feeling normally expected from an advert. Instead, the scene feels like something from a surreal fairy tale or a supernatural film.
Over time, rumours surrounding the advertisement only strengthened its reputation. Stories about supposed curses or strange events connected to the actors circulated widely, although such claims are generally part of the legend that developed around the commercial rather than established facts. The mystery itself helped transform an old advertisement into an enduring piece of internet folklore.
The campaign is a fascinating example of how **cultural context affects advertising**. Something intended to be charming in one setting can be interpreted very differently by another audience. What was meant to stand out simply became unforgettable for reasons the advertisers probably never anticipated.
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The Kleenex commercial remains fascinating precisely because it sits somewhere between ordinary advertising and accidental horror. There is no elaborate monster or explicit threat — just an unusual child, haunting music and an atmosphere that makes viewers instinctively feel that something is not quite right.