Ayu featured in Singapore's 'The New Paper' on 23/1/09

[waterballoon]

Tongues wag over Japan pop icon's lingerie ads

Ayumi bumps it up
Singer's deep cleavage sets tongues wagging
If you've got it, flaunt it.

That seems to be the message from Japanese pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki.

The 31-year-old singer is fronting a new ad campaign for lingerie brand Wacoal.

And her fans are buzzing about her generous cleavage being splashed all over the ads, which is part of a campaign called Trust Me.

The advertisements are out in magazines and at Wacoal boutiques and various department stores all over Singapore.

They are also available in other countries in Asia.

Plans are in the works for the lingerie-clad Ayumi to grace the giant billboard outside Tangs along Orchard Road, says Ms Elaine Seah, public relations director of Brand Incorporated, Wacoal's public relations agency.

The sexy ads show the singer frolicking about in bed with just a bra and a pair of panties.

(Shown in this page, is a picture of the Wacoal ad titled '2009', and the cover of LOVEppears, titled '1999', to highlight the difference in cleavage size.)

(Continued from previous page)

Is Ayumi playing catch-up with Kumi?
RIVALS: Kumi Koda had beaten Ayumi for two years running after adopting a bold, sexy image.

There is also a making-of video on the advertisements making its rounds on the internet (the newspapers states the website as www.tnppostwoman.com).

This video can also be viewed at all Wacoal boutiques.

Ayumi's spilling decolletage has got Singaporean fans and netizens wondering if the petite 1.56m J-pop star has had a boob job.

Wrote Arashi on the same forum: 'It does look photshopped, since Ayu isn't exactly known for her bodacious curves...'

Added local fan John Ng, a 28-year-old investment banker: 'For her age, she looks very good. But in the photos, she looks bigger, no?'

Ms Lillian Lee, a 23-year-old secretary, agreed: 'Her face is very pretty but we all know she is a very petite girl. All the past photos I've seen of her, she only looks normal-sized.'

Other fans attribute Ayumi's new assets to clever photography and posing.

Netizen Imuya wrote: 'Ayu is not like Beyonce or something. But with the right push-up bra and good positioning, I can see how Ayu could achieve a healthy cleavage without much help from photoshop.'

Apart from Ayumi's figure, fans are also questioning why she is doing a lingerie ad.

This is Ayumi's first foray into the lingerie market.

She has previously endorsed make-up, jeans, handphones, sports drinks and electronic products.

After all, the singer, who has been in showbiz for 11 years, has usually relied on her music videos and album covers to sell her sexy image.

Shooting a lingerie ad tends to be the route taken by newbies hoping to break into the entertainment scene.

Said netizen Kyayu on A-H.net, a forum dedicated to the J-pop star: 'This is a very nice picture... I'm just surprised that she would do this. I really never thought she would start doing lingerie ads.'

Added another netizen called Milkycat: 'Never in my life would I imagine Ayu to be a spokesperson for lingerie... All I can say is WOW.'

Said Singaporean fan, retail manager Claudia Low, 26: 'I didn't think Ayumi would do lingerie ads because she's such a big star already, she doesn't need it. But I guess she's doing it before she gets too old.'

In the Wacoal press release, Ayumi said: 'I am honored to be selected as the spokesperson for Wacoal. Wacoal's pursuit for perfection and functionality is akin to my belief and attitude in work.'

Perhaps Ayumi's campaign had to do with competition from the new threat to her J-pop throne - label mate and pop rival Kumi Koda.

The 27-year-old broke into the market in 2001 with a Japanese-turned-English single, Take Back, which peaked at No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music chart.

But she only made it big in 2005 with a sexy promotional campaign and has been flaunting her shapely curves in skimpy outfits since.

That same year, a 23m tall promotional poster of the Japanese bombshell clad in a cleavage-baring, peacock feathers-adorned (it was actually the cover for BEST ~first things~... if you don't know lol) dress was placed at a crowded intersection in Tokyo's Shibuya district by her record label Avex Trax.

How Kumi beat Ayumi

Fans lapped it up and Kumi proved that sex sold.

She went on to triumph over Ayumi for two years running - winning the Nihon Golden Disk Award in 2006 and 2007, Japan's version of the Grammy Awards - to be come Japan's best-selling pop act.

Furthermore, Kumi is famous for being well-endowed.

Once, she turned up as a guest on a popular TV show, Music Station, clad in just leopard-print lingerie. She also happily flaunted her figure in the fourth album Secret, in 2005, which contained a 28-page booklet with pictures of her posing topless.

Kumi's willingness to sell her sexpot image also made her a champion of a 'if you've got it, flaunt it attitude among young Japanese women', noted Amy Chozick in the Wall Street Journal.

Perhaps Ayumi is trying to play catch-up?

Whether her hot new lingerie pictures will outdo Kumi's next project remains to be seen but J-pop fans on JapanForum.com are sticking with Ayumi.

Wrote Kanabros: 'Kumi's pretty darn sexy, but I fell in love with Ayumi's voice.'

Dethbydisco commented: 'I kind of like both, but Ayumi wins! I think she's got more going for her!'

Added Singaporean Rachel Ong, 25, a marketing executive: 'Not everyone can pull of lingerie. And she does it in such a classy way. If you have what it takes, why not?'

Source: The New Paper, 23/1/09.

My thoughts: I LOVE what Ayu said about Wacoal and her job in the bolded parts. And this is a really interesting article, no?

[CHAS_AYU]

^
Thanks
Is there a photo on the newspaper?

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by CHAS_AYU

^
Thanks
Is there a photo on the newspaper?

Yeah, they compared cleavage size with a Wacoal pic, and the LOVEppears cover. They also showed another Wacoal pic, and Kuu's BEST ~first things~ cover. Too bad I don't have a scanner, if not I would have scanned the article instead of typing it all out... O.o

[Lanz16]

That's very Interesting article.

Thanks for posting it here!

[f1rz3n_0028]

thx for the news, you're so quick!!

[jbrat2219]

Thanks for taking the time to type this out! It was very interesting!

I don't mind Ayu doing these ads at all. And Kumi's image has been toned down quite a bit right? I think they're right about people using sex to get ahead.

[AyUta]

Wow, very interesting article. &yes, Ayu pulls of wearing lingerie in a very classy way, she's not doing it to show off or anything. She was just happy to help out the company. She's definitely not trying to play "catch-up."

[njanjayrp]

XD those papers seem to want to provoke more rivalism ^^ At least the people seem aware that Ayu isn't using this to gain attention in Asia (as she already has enough of it). And I've never considered Ayu's CD covers sexy (even LOVEppears) but oh well.

[Jwiz]

I don't really like this article, as it placed ayu in a bad light and was quite ill-informed.

[AyuHamasaki01]

I thought Ayu was 30.

[ayu_fantasy]

It is indeed ill-informed.

I think Ayu did this Wacoal lingerie ad is not to flaunt her assets or win Kumi or whatever, but just because she is quite close with Mika Noguchi...

Aww, anyway I missed yesterday's The New Paper...

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by AyuHamasaki01

I thought Ayu was 30.

She is...

[panda♥]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

Yeah, they compared cleavage size with a Wacoal pic, and the LOVEppears cover. They also showed another Wacoal pic, and Kuu's BEST ~first things~ cover. Too bad I don't have a scanner, if not I would have scanned the article instead of typing it all out... O.o

lol there is a big difference in cleavage between breasts being free w/o a bra (LOVEppears) and then being supported by a pushup bra (Wacoal). i'm quite sure the bra's Ayu was wearing in both Wacoal pictures were supporting her chest ALOT. not to mention Photoshop. good promotion?

For a starters Ayu wasn't wearing a bra in LOVEppears and sheesh a bra can make a lot of difference xD

I like that she's doing the Wacoal ads now, it's about time she grew up a little

[ayumisrael]

They forgot to mention that ayu was suggested by mika noguchi which is a good friend of ayu and the photographer to do it and ayu helped her with that XD.
Excluding that and the rivarly with kumi which never existed the article is fine.
Oh and ayu is 30 not 31 XD.

[ayu_ready?]

I hate this part where they compare her to Kuuchan
because I love both girls, I find this article kinda silly & gossip-ly

meh

don't they know that when you're 19 & 30 actually your figure is really different, because you mature
when women mature they git a bit plumper

and Kuuchan, obviously, has just bigger features, even if she's taller
she was born kinda very plumpy, all her family & sisters are like that, so, that's kinda naturally for her to have big features

Ayumi was always thin, but now sh'e 30 so it's obvious her figure looks different to what it was 10 years ago

Ayumi is wearing push up bra in the ad, and anyone who wears it has its breast much bigger, even me, if I havce a good bra, I get a look of a 1 or 1.5 size bigger, lol

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

I hate this part where they compare her to Kuuchan
because I love both girls, I find this article kinda silly & gossip-ly

meh

don't they know that when you're 19 & 30 actually your figure is really different, because you mature
when women mature they git a bit plumper

and Kuuchan, obviously, has just bigger features, even if she's taller
she was born kinda very plumpy, all her family & sisters are like that, so, that's kinda naturally for her to have big features

Ayumi was always thin, but now sh'e 30 so it's obvious her figure looks different to what it was 10 years ago

Ayumi is wearing push up bra in the ad, and anyone who wears it has its breast much bigger, even me, if I havce a good bra, I get a look of a 1 or 1.5 size bigger, lol

Yeah, I think women do get a bit bigger with age. Besides, it's not like Ayu has D cups now versus back when LOVEppears was released! Her breasts size looks very reasonable considering what she's wearing lol.

[Yeli13]

I though she was 30?? Nevertheless, Ayu is just in the right age for doing such a sexy campaign. Photoshoots are really classy, and she didn't build her career on her cleavage... So what the matter if she had or not a boob job? It would not be the first one in the show biz industry^^

[Kazeyomi]

:/ I don't like at all this article.
Lol she wear a push-up bra o_O' and yes she gained weight but she still gorgeous. Lol people treat her like an obese.. stupid show biz


anyway thanks

[Raleigh]

I think the articles are hyped up. Personally why should they keep trying to push Kumi and Ayu as being rivals?