Why Pereira O'Dell Landed in America's Hardest to Pronounce Towns for Rakuten

Try saying 'Rakuten' three times quickly – and correctly. Rakuten, the site that gives you cash back when you shop, has partnered with bicoastal creative agency Pereira O’Dell to help enhance brand recognition and pronunciation.

In its first work for Rakuten, Pereira O’Dell skips the typical big markets like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and instead heads to some lesser known, but much more relevant, cities.

Americans have had a hard time pronouncing Japanese-based Rakuten correctly. To confront this breach head-on, the brand went to equally hard-to-pronounce cities, including Waxahachie TX, Kissimmee FL, and the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, with an interactive voice recognition machine. The gadget sits at the center of each town and teaches people how to pronounce “Rakuten” correctly, offering up a cash prize to those who get it right. A :30 spot, “Shoutout Payout,” chronicles the effort and, in some cases, moment of triumph.

This campaign marks Pereira O’Dell’s first project for Rakuten after winning the business back in September. 'Shoutout Payout' will run primarily on TV and online, including an airing this Sunday during the GRAMMYs.