Japanese electronics giant SHARP, known for its witty and highly-engaged social media presence, has once again captured the internet's attention with a bizarrely brilliant marketing move. The company is famous for its quirky online antics, and this time, they've roped in one of Hololive's biggest stars.
On January 23, SHARP posted a very formal-looking public apology letter on X (formerly Twitter), sparking curiosity and concern. But what seemed like a corporate crisis was actually a masterclass in product promotion involving Hololive VTuber Sakura Miko.
▼ The stunt even got SHARP trending on X.
Titled "An Apology for Failing to Become a Wizard," the letter, presented as a formal document, stated:
Thank you for your continued patronage.
We are writing to sincerely apologize for the "waterless humidifier" that our company previously announced for development. Due to insurmountable technical challenges, we were unable to realize this product and have failed to meet your expectations.
For this project, we had hoped to create a dream product in collaboration with Sakura Miko and Cover Corp. Unfortunately, due to technical limitations, we have been forced to halt the project. We are deeply regretful of this outcome.
Despite repeated attempts to overcome the obstacles and achieve the "waterless" concept, an internal evaluation concluded that we are currently unable to surpass the laws of physics. We could only continuously remind Sakura Miko that she still needs to add water.
However, as an alternative, while we couldn't create a waterless humidifier, we have successfully developed the "Very Ordinary Miko-chi Humidifying Air Purifier." Although it still requires water, this product not only features a Sakura Miko design but also includes her voice lines, giving it a "PON" feeling, just like magic.
We understand our actions may have disappointed Sakura Miko and her many fans who were looking forward to this. We will reflect deeply on this and strive to meet your expectations in other ways.
Finally, we once again extend our deepest apologies to all of Sakura Miko's fans and all our supporters. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
The post then cheekily included a link to the product, adding, "Turns out it's a humidifying air purifier that still needs water." The entire elaborate apology was, in fact, a massive troll to announce their new Sakura Miko collaboration.
For Miko's fans, known as 35P, the joke landed perfectly. The "waterless humidifier" is a direct reference to a famous incident where the VTuber admitted she never knew her own humidifier needed water, a classic "PON" moment that became a running gag in the community. SHARP, having previously hinted at a collab, played along with the idea of creating an impossible product, only to "fail" spectacularly.
▼ SHARP's team even posted photos of themselves formally apologizing to Sakura Miko at the Cover Corp. headquarters.
▼ And they ran into YAGOO...
The elaborate stunt was a huge hit with fans, who praised SHARP for its deep understanding of the fandom and its incredibly creative marketing.
The actual collaboration product is the SHARP KI-TX75 Flagship Humidifying Air Purifier. Priced at 121,000 JPY and set for a February 21 release, the unit features adorable art of Sakura Miko and comes loaded with 100 different voice lines. Time for all you 35P to get your wallets ready.
via： cocorostore