United Ad Confuses Shanghai & Kyoto
Nov 5, 2018, 2:54 pm
#46
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,335
Having taken a look through photos of Anji, other than a few mislabeled ones, I'm pretty confident that the ad was not shot there.
The sides of the pathway from the UA ad are quite unique, and the only ones I could find that look like that are attributed to Kyoto.
blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_76ae9ab10101m146.html - Translator
Is it possible that the advertising company and/or the production company lied to UA about where the footage was taken?
Nov 5, 2018, 2:58 pm
#48
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Sure - the marketing company could've taken liberty with the location - but your picture doesn't look like the United picture.....
Nov 5, 2018, 2:58 pm
#49
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
Having taken a look through photos of Anji, other than a few mislabeled ones, I'm pretty confident that the ad was not shot there.
I am guessing it's stock footage with an overlay that the marketing company mislabeled. That, or it 's a really good Chinese knockoff of Japan.
Nov 5, 2018, 3:05 pm
#50
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,335
To me it does. There's another one below.
Looks almost identical IMO, especially considering they may have doctored it some, and it wasn't taken at the EXACT same spot.
Maybe they asked Anji for permission to film there and were denied and Kyoto agreed?
Nov 5, 2018, 3:35 pm
#52
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Your picture looks closer - and the UA photo may well be in Japan, or even likely. The UA pic does have a very rough around the edges on the path which none of the Japan photos have which seem very well maintained.....
Nov 5, 2018, 3:37 pm
#53
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
I'll be persuaded when someone posts a picture of a Chinese bamboo grove that looks remotely similar. Haven't found one yet . . .
Nov 5, 2018, 3:41 pm
#54
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Germany
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 416
Also the path in the background appears to be continuing to the left in the video, while there only appears to be a small "turnout" at Arashiyama. Could be the perspective though. Also they would have needed to cut one tree (at least out of the video).
But I tend to believe, that it really is this one. Searched through thousand of chinese photos now, and did not find any similar "hedge" behind the fence in any of these.
Same perspective on Google Street View:
https://www.google.de/maps/@35.01710...7i13312!8i6656
Last edited by delpiero223; Nov 5, 2018 at 3:48 pm
Nov 5, 2018, 3:51 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,648
Ad company’s, movie producers, they all use alternative sites for everything. UA didn’t screw up, it’s a advertisement and nothing else. If this is what your going to hold over UA’s head, well, you have bigger problems.
Nov 5, 2018, 4:08 pm
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Folks - For all of you questioning the single vs. double rails at Arashiyama, the reality is there are multiple sections / side paths with different surface materials (stone, sand, steps) and railings (single, double, high, low). Most of the photos online are of the most iconic main section, but I was there last year and saw various deviations.
The Anji forest, on the other hand, looks totally different. United (or its outside agency) is lying when they say that they "have confirmed that the bamboo forest pictured on our recent ad is indeed in Shanghai." It is not.
As to whether it matters is another question.
The Anji forest, on the other hand, looks totally different. United (or its outside agency) is lying when they say that they "have confirmed that the bamboo forest pictured on our recent ad is indeed in Shanghai." It is not.
As to whether it matters is another question.
Nov 5, 2018, 4:20 pm
#57
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Germany
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 416
Folks - For all of you questioning the single vs. double rails at Arashiyama, the reality is there are multiple sections / side paths with different surface materials (stone, sand, steps) and railings (single, double, high, low). Most of the photos online are of the most iconic main section, but I was there last year and saw various deviations.
The Anji forest, on the other hand, looks totally different. United (or its outside agency) is lying when they say that they "have confirmed that the bamboo forest pictured on our recent ad is indeed in Shanghai." It is not.
As to whether it matters is another question.
The Anji forest, on the other hand, looks totally different. United (or its outside agency) is lying when they say that they "have confirmed that the bamboo forest pictured on our recent ad is indeed in Shanghai." It is not.
As to whether it matters is another question.
Too bad, Street View coverage is from 2010 and only covers two of the paths.
Nov 6, 2018, 10:50 am
#58
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Germany
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 416
Ok, so there's an article citing Flyertalk now 
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....s-japan-china/
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....s-japan-china/
