The nature of anime advertising is different. You mentioned merchandising, then there's pilgrimage promotion (tourism) and the occasional big brand product placement. So you can't really deny that anime doesn't do advertising.
One thing to consider, some anime may not seem like they can provide the ROI for companies willing to advertise. Many artists would prefer to be more independent of the core audience that buys merchandise, but after-midnight TV slots don't look that good to them. Also, ad revenue is controlled by advertisers, so midnight shows get the low end of the stick.
|