That Baseball Game Isn’t The First Crazy ‘Ring’ Marketing Strategy

Horror fans were understandable excited, if a little bemused about the recent Japanese horror baseball face-off to promote Sadako vs. Kayako. Sadako, however – is something of a baseball fan, having appeared at a couple more games to market upcoming films.

It’s also not the first bizarre promotional stunt the long-hair ghost has taken part in. In 2013, Japanese burger chain Lotteria will offered a limited-time lemonade shake flavor themed after the classic Japanese horror icon.

To promote the first Sadako 3D, advertisers drove a giant version of the scary character around the Shibuya neighborhood in Tokyo.

If you thought the milkshake was weird – this walkthrough theme park attraction took the idea even further. Tokyo Joypolis, an enclosed theme park in Odaiba, Tokyo hosts a haunted manor style attraction where guests take the role of ‘reporters’ in spooky mysteries. To promote the franchise, they themed the attraction around Sadako – showing her movies and offering visitors ‘club member stickers’ and rented costumes. Afterwards, guests can enjoy a special Sadako menu – which is as bizarre as it sounds.

She also launched a mobile app which supposedly allowed more interaction with her films. Sadako 3D 2 was be shown in a “smartphone4D” version in Japan, with a free app delivering vibration, flash and sound special effects as well as extra visuals on mobile handset screens.

Then there was the time she took over a fast food chain…

She even has her own skincare line, where the facemasks give the appearance of dark hair covering your eyes.

Or the time she held a presidential campaign and encouraged people to vote for her.

Did you know she’s also recently joined a rock band?

And officially partnered with Hello Kitty. 

And that’s not even her strangest merchandise appearances.

Overall, she’s had a pretty varied horror career.