Jinkela (Chinese: 金坷垃; literally: "Golden Clumps of Earth") is a fertilizer supplement product made in China, whose maker claims that the product can help plants increase the absorption of minerals (more specifically Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium compounds) and have better yields. This fertilizer supplement was sold in Henan Province, People's Republic of China circa 2007, and its advertisement was broadcast on various regional television stations in China. Being inspired by its exaggerated television advertisements, netizens in mainland China and Taiwan have made many online parodies (kuso) mocking the product, making it a famous internet meme and strong influence of cyberculture in Greater China. Its impact on internet culture has been noted by various mainstream media outlets.
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The corporation responsible for Jinkela
The creators of Jinkela are a corporation which calls itself "American Shengdiyage Agricultural Group Co.Ltd." (Chinese: 美国圣地亚戈农资集团)1, who have hosted an official website on a site called "Hot Agricultural Business Network" (Chinese: 火爆农资招商网), jinkela.3456.tv, which is now inaccessible. According to that website, American Shengdiyage formed its Chinese Headquarters in Zhengzhou in 2002. However, it was discovered later by netizens that this corporation is in fact a Chinese corporation which has nothing to do with the United States other than its name.
Advertising commercials
Jinkela was not widely known to many people when American Shengdiyage initially released its advertisements online. It later became well known in mainland China and Taiwan after several parody videos of it became widespread. There are 7 kinds of Jinkela advertisements available online, in which the episode of "American President" and "Jinkela trio" are the most known ones.
"Jinkela trio" episode
An American Jinkela distributor is driving a truck but comes across two customers en route, namely an African and a Japanese. The two customers both want this product, and so the American says that he will give Jinkela to whoever answers his question ("What are the advantages of using Jinkela?") correctly. The African says that African agriculture is underdeveloped and requires Jinkela to achieve modernization, whilst the Japanese says that Jinkela can help Japan achieve food independence. The American considers that giving Jinkela to Japanese may hurt American exports since Japan would no longer require imported American grain, and thus he gives Jinkela to African, saying that everyone needs to provide assistance towards the underdeveloped African agriculture industry.
Influences on Chinese cyberspace
Catchphrases from the advertisement can be found throughout Chinese cyberspace; for example, the Chinese edition of Engadget used a reference to Jinkela in one of its articles on the LG Prada phone. Its title translates as "Adding Jinkela, one LG Prada is worth two", which comes from "Adding Jinkela, one bag is worth two" in the original advertising commercials