TRICK PEOPLE

Short List
TitleTRICK PEOPLE
BrandCHIBA POLICE AND THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Product / ServiceFRAUD PREVENTION AWARENESS
CategoryA02. Best Use of Magazines/Newspapers
EntrantADK Tokyo, JAPAN
Entrant Company:ADK Tokyo, JAPAN
Advertising Agency:ADK Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Credits

Name Company Position
Kunihiro Hayashida The Asahi Shimbun Senior Sales Manager/Media Architects
Masaki Nakamura The Asahi Shimbun Media Architects
Fumihito Mizue The Asahi Shimbun Media Architects
Hajime Watanabe The Asahi Shimbun Media Architects
Michiaki Okabe The Asahi Shimbun Supplement Coordinator
Yohsuke Itoh The Asahi Shimbun Delivery Coordinator
Kanji Ishizaki The Asahi Shimbun Delivery Generan Manager
Yasuhiro 'wolf' Fukada ADK Executive Media Planner
Takaaki Hiratsuka ADK Media Planner
Mutsumi Ajichi ADK Creative Director
Yumiko Aoyagi ADK Art Director
Hiroo Hashimoto ADK Creative Curator
Kenji Nakato Creatorsgroupmac Art Director
Hiroo Muro Creatorsgroupmac Art Director
Satsuki Kashiwagi Creatorsgroupmac Designer
Yusuke Hatakeyama Creatorsgroupmac Designer
Koshiro Iwaya Creatorsgroupmac Copywriter
Masaya Haraguchi ADK Director Of Communication Channel Planning
Fumiaki Takeuchi ADK Planner Of Communication Channel Planning
Major Banks/Nakayama Merchants' Association Special Thanks

Results and Effectiveness

Delivered to homes throughout the nation via Japan's unique delivery system, the advertisement hoodwinked numerous readers, helping to raise awareness of the heinous crime of money transfer fraud, which resulted in a reduction of around 63% in the incidence of such crime over a year earlier. The advertisement was reported on the day's news programs and discussed in blogs. It was also posted up in banks and shops in local shopping centers where it generated widespread attention, and was used as a free paper helping to raise awareness and change people's thinking on money transfer fraud in the community.

Creative Execution

Japan's capable police force teamed up with the Asahi Shimbun, a venerable newspaper of high repute, and took the bold step of using a counterfeit bill in an advertisement with the deliberate intention of deceiving newspaper readers. This tactic of using a simulacrum of the experience was intended to raise awareness among readers of their potential susceptibility to money scams. Taking advantage of newspapers as the media for methodical reporting, the advertisement contained articles on past cases of money transfer fraud, information on the methods used by fraudsters and advice on how to counter the criminals. The campaign was taken nationwide through tie-ups with major municipal banks and local shopping areas.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Fraud losses amount to around 100 million yen a day, which adds up to around 100 billion yen in the past four years. Pernicious money transfer fraud targeting the elderly has become a major social issue in Japan. It has received extensive media coverage and the police have launched a major campaign aimed at eliminating the problem, but the number of fraud victims continues to rise. One of the biggest obstacles to reducing this crime is that, whilst 92% of elderly people are aware of this type of fraud, 80% believe that they are immune. This lack of vigilance and egoism was a major hurdle.