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In recent years, politicians have been constantly seeking innovative ways to establish connections with the public, especially young people, during their election campaigns. In this context, utilizing elements of popular culture has undoubtedly become a popular trend. This combination can not only attract a large amount of attention in a short period of time, but also leverage the profound influence of popular culture to evoke emotional resonance among the target audience.
However, the risk is that this strategy requires very precise copyright management and cultural sensitivity, as unauthorized imitation or use may lead to copyright disputes or public backlash.
For example, in the recent Japanese House of Representatives elections, the case of Hidehiro Mitani has well revealed this issue. He used elements of ‘Ace Attorney’ without permission in his election campaign, triggering a stern statement from Capcom.
Capcom explicitly stated in the statement that,“ We found that promotional materials for political activities may evoke images of our game characters, but we did not participate in any specific political party’s election campaigns&# 8221;
This not only demonstrates Capcom’s serious attitude towards its intellectual property, but also reminds the public to remain vigilant about the importance of copyright.
Hidehiro Mitani was defeated in his own constituency, but was later resurrected and elected with political party votes
In fact, cases of politicians combining with popular culture have long been common worldwide. For example, in the US presidential election, candidates often use concerts or celebrity endorsements to enhance their image.
However, success often depends on the refinement and legitimacy of the strategy. By contrast, Hidehiro Mitani’s unauthorized use of elements from popular games has not only raised legal questions, but also raised public doubts about his moral judgment.
Although he claims to have made changes and adjustments that do not violate copyright laws, this move has not been widely recognized.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Hidehiro Mitani has been in such a controversy. As early as 2012, when he was first elected as a member of the House of Representatives, he was criticized for using classic elements of “Ace Attorney” for promotion, which was too similar to game characters.
He imitated the posture of Bu Tang Long Yi in the campaign poster and quoted his classic linesObjection to AliAlthough this move has successfully attracted the attention of some game enthusiasts, it has also received a lot of criticism.
However, the situation in Miyako is not an isolated case. In 2021, another political candidate in Japan, Makoto Oniki, faced criticism for using a similar logo design on his campaign poster after imitating the popular anime series “Blade of the Demon Slayer”. He was even forced to remove the poster.
Such events indicate that although the influence of popular culture can be strategically used as a political tool, the subtle copyright issues involved must be handled properly to avoid counterproductive effects.
In multiple cases, it can be seen that using popular culture for political propaganda is a double-edged sword. Successfully building a new type of connection with voters requires not only a grasp of popular trends and intelligence, but also a balanced consideration of legal compliance and social responsibility. In the future, how politicians can wisely implement these strategies in elections will continue to be a topic worthy of attention.
It makes people wonder, if your beloved anime, game, or music is used in a campaign, will it increase your favorability towards the candidate, or will it make you resent their borrowing? Is this cultural strategy using clever tactics to attract votes, or is it challenging the intelligence and emotional bottom line of voters? This may be a thought-provoking question.