Although hilarious, the footage is not actually of real ostriches, but a CG composite. It’s an advertisement for the East Japan Railway Company, the largest passenger railway company on the face of the Earth, according to Wikipedia. These ran in 2005-2006 as a promotion for their package skiing holidays.
Why an ostrich? Apart from being hilarious, there is, of course, the concept of ostrich and ostrich-ness. Or maybe ostrichosity? Taken from patrick.com, here’s what the EJRC had to say:
Q. Why, it is the ostrich?
A. Skiing CM of this year aimed toward the revival of the snow leisure movement, aimed toward CM where there is an kind of impact which in many ones you can make topic. Because of this, the origin change of the person who, “did skiing in the main character and applies why? “With, it seems that unintentionally can have doubt there was a” unexpected characteristic “, the very thing was unique and it has pleasant image, we had decided to appoint the ostrich.
“Appoint the ostrich”. That’s got a good ring to it.
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