SOUTH AFRICA – After a 94 minute match that ended with a 1 – 0 victory for Japan over Cameroon, many Japanese nationals breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was their first World Cup victory ever that did not take place in Japan, and they achieved it against one of the titan teams in world cup soccer today. A group who even celebrated harder after the match was the Honda Corporation.
Best known for their cars, Honda the company decided to cut back on finances for advertisements after they learned Japan would be in the World Cup tournament. “It was a risky move for all of us” said Honda-Japan spokesman, Kenji Kawashima. The general plan was to let advertising run its course because Keisuke Honda, a player on the team also shared his last name with the company.
“We knew Keisuke would be a good striker. He shows great speed and great agility when it comes to adversity, just like our cars.” said Kenji. When Keisuke Honda scored the goal, Honda knew their profits would nearly triple. “We just hope he keeps it up in the World Cup, as this would put us over the edge when it comes to advert competition.”
There was further proof this tactic worked when a fan was interviewed after the match. The fan was quoted saying he had no idea what was going on but he got the sudden urge to buy a Honda before he left South Africa.
More Japanese companies are reportedly considering naming players after their company names but there’s little word as to whether it’s been effective. Japan has an upcoming match against Netherlands on June 19th. Stay tuned.
