Selling back-to-school clothes to kids

School starts in April in Japan, so now all the major stores are beginning their back to school sales. But why use these mannequins? With their pale faces, odd expressions and postures, they are plain scary. Especially this one:


I have posted/pondered about the use of foreigner-looking mannequins in the past, but again, what is up with these pale faces?

And why foreigner-looking mannequins? I have heard one advertiser say that foreign models are used so that the Japanese customers can look at the clothes s/he is wearing more objectively. The advertiser states that there are a limited number of Japanese facial and body types, thus Japanese models might remind one of a friend or neighbor, which would distract for the clothes/products themselves.

Or maybe we can blame Colonel Sanders' presence in Japan? He certainly gets dressed up in a number of fashion styles. I think he is much more preferable to the pale faces above.