creative advertising from tokyo

This is an advertising method I came across that is from Tokyo, Japan.  If you can't tell from the picture, the clothing store has put clothes up on the mirror so that a shopper can simply walk up and get an idea for how the clothes would look on them. 
I have never seen this done before and I thought it was very clever.  As someone who shops a bit, I can attest to the fact that sometimes people are hesitant to spend time in a store because they are unsure how anything will look on them, and don't want to waste time and energy trying things on if they aren't sure they'll look good.
I could definitely see myself using this feature at stores if they utilized it...it would let me know if I liked the outfits enough to try them on.  Mannequins are generally what are used to showcase what an outfit will look like...they are the "dominant code."  However I think this method might has that method beat.  Not only can a shopper see what the outfit would look like, but he/she could see what it would look like on them.  This could possibly be an emerging code in shopping display and advertisement.  I hope to see this kind of clever and functional advertising in the United States soon.  I think it would make shopping more fun and enjoyable than I already find it.

shopping bag ad

I have discussed a lot of print ads from magazines and I have discussed a few commercials, but not too many ads that are in other places.  These shopping bag ads are brilliant.  I love the unexpected and quirky nature of them.  The sophistication of their simplicity blended with the creativity of the concept makes for an intriguing effect. 
Putting an ad on a shopping bag in the first place is smart because a shopper will carry it around as long as they are shopping, allowing a lot of different audiences to see it.  It moves, whereas a billboard can't.  A drawback though, is that eventually the shopper will take the bag home and either throw it away or shove it in the back of their closet, never to be seen again.  A billboard is stationary, but at least it is durable.
Given that the ad will probably only be seen in a small window of time, it does a great job of demanding attention right away.  The stark contrast of the black and white is already eye-catching.  Then once your eye is attracted, it notices that there's something strange about the image, and it takes a second or two to figure it out.  The handle is the jump rope....cool!  It's clever, it's quirky, and it will put a smile on  the face of whoever sees it.  There is the simple brand on the bottom reading, "YKM" which is easy enough for the consumer to remember it.  They will remember seeing the clever ad, and hopefully go to YKM the next time they need athletic gear.