• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 2, 2006

Soon American jeans will be thrown into the Sea of Japan. But first, U.S. TV commercial actors will need a lifeboat.

Over the last few years, advertisers in Japan have been getting rid of the popular U.S. entertainment stars who appeared in their TV commercials.  No longer will Paul Newman be needed to drive a Nissan. So long to Harrison Ford drinking--and selling--beer. Gone also is Sylvester Stallone, who was pushing hams. (The food, not performers.)

Actually, this trend of fewer U.S. performers in TV commercials in Japan started in the late '90s.  In the 2003 movie  "Lost In Translation," Bill Murray played a big-time serious actor in the who was shooting a TV commercial in Japan for scotch.

Lately Japan has undergone a shift in advertising tactics to embrace its homegrown talents and Asian screen stars.  In return, we have Jackie Chan pushing Pepsi-Cola in this country.

Apparently, already conservative-minded Japanese consumer products companies have become more conservative in their marketing approach. "Moving products became the issue, and moving housewives--who actually hold the purse strings," one ad agency executive in Japan told The Hollywood Reporter. Now Japanese celebrities and Korean actors are more popular to Japanese housewives.

Naturally, doing TV ads overseas has been popular for U.S. actors in grabbing supplemental cash. By doing this overseas commercial work, actors never appear in the U.S. to be "selling out" or, in today's terms, never too overexposed.

Other countries are still needy. A few years ago Woody Allen did a TV commercial in Italy for a supermarket chain. David Hasselhoff, of course, is still popular in Germany. Jerry Lewis and--well, you know, France--still like each other.

But overall, big economic powers don't need us anymore. Less American popular culture will be exported, now that countries have found other ways to hawk products without our big smiling American faces on TV screens.

That just means opportunity elsewhere--new markets and unusual products. I hear Finland is looking for a "B" level actor to sell herring. Or it is heart-rate monitors?

Don't worry. The pay is good, and here's the best part: The ratings are low, so no one will know you are there.