Nissin invents a fork to quash offensive noodle-slurping noises

Cup-noodle maker Nissin rarely disappoints with its marketing, and a new campaign is no exception.

The video above posits that the slurping sounds people make when eating noodles are a major source of international tension. Then, just when we fear that this form of "harassment" is going to lead to a serious diplomatic incident, technology comes to the rescue—in the form of a remarkably large fork known as 'Otohiko'. Based on the company's analysis of "an enormous amount of slurping sound data", the battery-powered piece of cutlery is able to notice offending slurping sounds when they occur, and then mask them with a "camouflage" sound. 

To achieve this miracle, the company worked with Shinya Kiyokawa, a "genius known for weaving tunes from the sounds of nature".

Before you ask, yes, the company is actually making the forks; it plans to sell 5,000 units for 14,800 yen (about US$130). They're only available in Japan, starting today through 23 November, or when all 5,000 have been spoken for. The project is a promotion, we're told, for the first anniversary of Nissin Food Group's online store.

Ad Nut heartily approves of the tongue-in-cheek infomercial style here, particularly the very serious audio engineer and the way the fork earns joyous laughter and approving nods from people who moments earlier were ready to stab each other in the eye.  

This is now Ad Nut's favourite subtitle ever.
 

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