A Japanese toothpaste commercial was pulled off the air because it accidentally made people think they were facing a national emergency. Lion Corporation, a major household goods manufacturer, debuted the commercial for its Systema Gum Plus Premium Toothpaste.
For a country known its quirky, often bizarre commercials, the ad seemed pretty tame on the surface. However, the sound effect at the beginning of the ad sounds similar to the J-Alert warning system.
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The early warning system is used for serious threats, like natural disasters or missile attacks. It’s a sound many don’t want to hear, but one that locals heard quite a bit back in 2017 when North Korea was launching a high volume of missiles.
Lion Corporation, in efforts to avoid a nationwide panic, pulled the ad from both TV and its YouTube channel on the ad’s second day. In a statement, Lion said it would re-edit the advertisement to ensure it no longer sounds like the emergency system.