science

National (brand)

National (brand) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand National (brand) rather than just read about it. In short: National (ナショナル, Nashonaru) was a brand used by Panasonic Corporation (formerly Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.) to sell home appliances, personal appliances, and industrial appliances. Several similarly-named companies exist, such as National Cash Register, National Semiconductor, National Car Rental, National Australia Bank, National Book Store and National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, but none of…

National (brand) — illustration

Key takeaways

National (brand) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect National (brand) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of National (brand) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

National (ナショナル, Nashonaru) was a brand used by Panasonic Corporation (formerly Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.) to sell home appliances, personal appliances, and industrial appliances. Several similarly-named companies exist, such as National Cash Register, National Semiconductor, National Car Rental, National Australia Bank, National Book Store and National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, but none of them are related to the National brand.

History

Before present-day Panasonic produced appliances under the name, the National brand was first used by Konosuke Matsushita's electric firm to sell his battery-powered bicycle lamps, hoping that they would be a product used by all of Japan, hence the name "National". It was arguably the first well-known brand of Japanese electronics. National was formerly the premier brand on most Matsushita products, including audio and video and was combined in 1988 as National Panasonic after the worldwide success of the Panasonic name. After 1980 in Europe, and 1988 in Australia and New Zealand, Matsushita ceased the usage of the "National" brand, and sold audiovisual products exclusively under the Panasonic and Technics brands. Matsushita never officially used the National name in the United States, due to the trademark being already in use by National Cash Register. The brand made a brief appearance in 2003 on rice cookers, meat grinders and a handful of small kitchen appliances. In addition, National rice cookers were imported for sale in many Asian-American markets. National was well known throughout Asia as a reputable manufacturer of domestic appliances such as rice cookers. In 2004, the "National" brand was gradually phased out in Asia, the penultimate market it was used in, with most products being rebranded under the Panasonic brand after the company decided to unify all their businesses under the Panasonic brand for greater recognition. Several models of National-branded kerosene-based heaters were recalled due to a failure in the exhaust hose which would allow carbon monoxide to leak into the room. The recall effort began in November of 2005 after a fatal accident in January of the same year. Due to its historical significance and recognition in Matsushita's native Japan, non-audiovisual Matsushita products (mostly home appliances or white goods) were branded "National" until October 1, 2008. As of October 1, 2008, Matsushita changed its company name to Panasonic Corporation. Non-audiovisual products that were branded "National" in Japan are currently marketed under the "Panasonic" brand.

Bicycle Manufacturing

National bicycles were imported into the United States under the Panasonic label. The brand was known for producing high quality cycles at a relatively low price, as the result of a very high degree of factory automation and a resultingly low labor force with attendant savings in salaries and benefits. One of their models featured the unusual Shimano front freewheel system.

Advertising campaigns

In 1960, National launched a tokusatsu series, co-produced by Toei, called National Kid, in a clear merchandising effort. The series wasn't popular in its home market, but attained cult status in Brazil. In 1976, the Swedish band ABBA shot some ads promoting National. They were broadcast in Western Europe (Belgium, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and West Germany), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Philippines and Thailand. In 1978, J-pop duo Pink Lady appeared in several commercials promoting National's air conditioner and Pepper portable transistor radio. Peter Allen served as the high-energy national spokesperson and star for National Panasonic Australia from 1980 to 1988. He fronted major TV advertising campaigns, promoting consumer electronics like VCRs, Colour TVs, and camcorders under the famous tag "National: The Big Entertainer" In the 1980s a promotion was made in Japan for National TV, using the cat "Chatran" also known as "Milo" from Fuji TV's 1986 theatrical feature film The Adventures of Milo and Otis (Koneko Monogatari). The commercial features some segments of the movie, then shows "Chatran"/"Milo" with a human companion.

References

External links

(in Japanese) Panasonic products website (in English) Brand History, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (in English) The National brand: 1927 (in English) ABBA TV commercials promoting National Brand (From YouTube) (in English) Background information on the making of the commercials, plus lyrics and voiceovers used Peter Allen 1984 TV ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOxlVcMGXrY&t=1s (in Japanese) National Brand TV commercial cross promoting "The Adventures Of Milo & Otis"/The Adventures Of Chatran" from 1986 (From YouTube) (in Japanese) Ohmura Electric Industry plc.

Illustrations

National NE-6100 microwave oven

The National "N-Mark" discontinued in Japan in 1987; outside Japan, "ナショナル" is replaced with "National" typeset in Helvetica

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with National (brand)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what National (brand) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to National (brand) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about National (brand) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of National (brand)

In research: National (brand) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses National (brand) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: National (brand) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Consumer electronics brands, Japanese brands, Panasonic Corporation brands, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for National (brand) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study National (brand) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what National (brand) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain National (brand) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is National (brand) in simple terms?

Why does National (brand) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study National (brand)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on National (brand).