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Original name of the Sony Walkman (feddit.nu)
submitted 6 days ago by lime@feddit.nu to c/map_enthusiasts@sopuli.xyz
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Growing up, portable cassette players were always called "freestyles" here. I never knew it was a marketing thing, or that some other countries also objected to the naming.

this is "original research", which means i dicked around on the internet archive for half an hour. it may be wrong.

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[-] lime@feddit.nu 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

it's uh... wasei-eigo. it was meant to, quote,

introduce the idea of "Japanese-ness" into global culture, synonymous with miniaturization and high-technology.[60] The "Walk-men" and "Walk-women" in advertisements were created to be the ideal reflections of the viewing audience.[61] Sony implemented a marketing strategy, hiring young adults to walk around in public wearing a Walkman.

naturally, the marketing agencies in some countries didn't really get it (see also: the Honda Pussy) and suggested different names

this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2025
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