If you take the Taipei Metro, you will know that instrumental music is broadcast at stations on different lines, with each line featuring a unique theme. However, passengers taking the Bannan Line (Blue Line) and the Songshan–Xindian Line (Green Line) last Tuesday would have heard the new jingle for Haolai toothpaste as trains neared the platform.
Haolai, formerly known as “Heiren” — meaning “black person” in Chinese — is the most famous toothpaste brand in Taiwan. Its English name was originally “Darkie” but the owners dropped the racially-charged name and replaced it with “Darlie” in 1989. The skin tone of the mascot was also changed from black to white, but the Chinese name for “Darkie” remained unchanged until this March, when “Heiren” officially became “Haolai.”
On May 10, instead of the standard melody, passengers taking the Blue Line heard a new theme song sung by singer William Wei, also known by his stage name WeiBird. The key refrain from the song is: “Heiren toothpaste of the past is now Haolai / fresh and confident / Call me Haolai.”
Photo: CNA 照片:中央社
Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation explained that the idea for a creative advertisement was proposed by Haolai toothpaste and is a first for Taipei Metro. Haolai toothpaste hopes that WeiBird’s song can convey a “fresh and appealing” brand image to the public, an image that Taipei Metro happens to share.
(Translated by Rita Wang, Taipei Times)
台北捷運各線原設有不同列車進站音樂,不過上週二有民眾搭乘時發現,板南線、松山新店線的進站音樂變成好來牙膏主題曲。
好來牙膏前身是家喻戶曉的黑人牙膏,原本英文名稱為Darkie,但因該詞涉及種族歧視,一九八九年時改名為Darlie,並將黑人商標換為白人,中文部分則維持黑人牙膏,直到今年三月才正式更名為好來牙膏。
五月十日當天通勤的民眾發現,板南線列車進站響起的不是往常熟悉旋律,而是歌手韋禮安獻唱的好來牙膏主題曲,「以前的黑人牙膏,就是現在的好來,清新自信,叫我好來」。
台北捷運公司說明,這是由好來牙膏主動提出的創意廣告案,也是北捷前所未有的全新嘗試,希望藉由韋禮安的音樂,傳遞品牌「清新、美好」新氣象,與北捷的形象不謀而合。
(中央社)
The Perseids meteor shower is expected to peak on Monday next week, with the up to 100 meteors per hour, with the number expected to reach more than 30 one or two days before and after, which will surely be a treat for stargazers. The Perseids are named after the Greek hero Perseus, as the meteor shower appears to come from the eponymous constellation. According to myth, Perseus slew the gorgon Medusa by cutting off her snake-covered head while viewing her reflection in his shield. While the meteors are active from mid-July, the best time to see them is next Monday with the
A: Japanese pop diva Hikaru Utada is visiting Taiwan, as well as Aespa. B: Yeah, she will hold two concerts at the Taipei Arena over the weekend. A: When she released her 1999 debut album “First Love,” it became Japan’s best-selling album ever. B: Her No. 1 hit “First Love” from that album even topped the chart again in 2022 as the theme song of a TV drama. A: After a wait of 25 years, Taiwanese fans can finally see “Hikki” for the first time. A: 除了Aespa,日本歌后宇多田光終於要來台開唱啦。 B: 對啊,本週末將在台北小巨蛋連唱兩天。 A: 她在1999年推出首張專輯《First Love》,甚至還成為日本史上最暢銷專輯。 B: 而當年的同名冠軍歌曲《First Love》,2022年搭配日劇播出在台再度奪冠。 A: 台灣歌迷等了25年,終於等到她來台開演唱會啦! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: K-pop SM Entertainment’s four-member girl group Aespa is set to stage three shows in Taiwan starting Friday. B: Great, where will they be performing? A: At Taoyuan’s National Taiwan Sports University Stadium, commonly known as the Linkou Stadium. B: I hear that Aespa has even been voted by netizens as one of the top 10 girl groups. A: Yeah, other top groups include Blackpink, (G)I-DLE, NewJeans and Twice. A: 南韓SM娛樂旗下的4人女團Aespa,週五起將在台灣一連嗨唱3場! B: 太棒了,在哪唱? A: 在桃園的國立體育大學綜合體育館,就是俗稱的「林口體育館」。 B: 聽說Aespa還被網友選為10大女團? A: 對啊,前幾名的女團還有:Blackpink、(G)I-DLE、NewJeans、Twice。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Celebrated on Aug. 13, International Left Handers Day shines a spotlight on the left-handed minority. This annual holiday aims to raise awareness for left-handed people, who have faced discrimination and inconvenience in a world dominantly built for righties. Historically, being left-handed was considered taboo or even evil, and this is reflected in many languages. The English word “left” comes from the Anglo-Saxon lyft, which means weak. Likewise, the word “sinister,” coming from the Latin for left, suggests evil or misfortune. This dual meaning persists in many modern European languages such as sinistra in Italian. Religious beliefs have compounded