MIRAI DESIGN LAB

TitleMIRAI DESIGN LAB
BrandDENTSU / HAKUHODO
Product / ServiceMIRAI DESIGN LAB
CategoryB03. Corporate Reputation
EntrantDENTSU Tokyo, JAPAN
Entrant Company:DENTSU Tokyo, JAPAN
PR/Advertising Agency:DENTSU Tokyo, JAPAN
2nd PR/Advertising Agency:HAKUHODO Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Tadahiro Ikenaga Dentsu Inc. Senior Planning Director
Kazufumi Nagai Hakuhodo Inc. Executive Creative Director
Satoshi Umeda Dentsu Inc. Copy Writer
Takehiro Okamoto Hakuhodo Inc. Producer
Masami Hayata Dentsu Inc. Planner
Natsuko Ohno Dentsu Inc. Planner
Masaya Shimizu Dentsu Inc. Planner
Hiroyuki Fukuda Dentsu Inc. Planner
Shingo Yamahara Dentsu Inc. Planner
Yumiko Furukawa Dentsu Inc. Planner
Sungwon Kim Dentsu Inc. Planner
Kouhei Miyahara Dentsu Inc. Planner
Keisaku Kunita Hakuhodo Inc. Planner
Kotaro Tachiya Hakuhodo Inc. Planner
Matsuhiko Ozawa Hakuhodo Inc. Planner
Keita Fujii Hakuhodo Inc. Planner
Masaya Kujira Hakuhodo Inc. Planner
Sae Oosako Hakuhodo Inc. Planner
Nobuhito Kan Hakuhodo Inc. Planner

The Campaign

Throughout the world, prospects for the future are extremely gloomy. As advertising is a mirror of the economic, the environment surrounding the ad-industry is getting worse and worse. Furthermore, media innovation leads to advances in communications and entertainment. Unfortunately advertising is clearly lagging behind. We must increase ad-industry’s presence in society again, and that rapidly. We, advertising professionals who move the hearts of the people, can make the future a better place with our specialized skills; Creativity, Innovation, Holistic and Passion. We decided to launch a new project that goes beyond our farms. The arch-rivals Dentsu and Hakuhodo launched a joint project to brighten up world’s future and the ad industry again. It’s named MIRAI, FUTURE, DESIGN LAB. It’s theme: One Future. We may be business rivals, but we only have one future. As the first step, we asked the next generation, the leaders of the future, for their ideas - the seeds. Dentsu and Hakuhodo using their wisdom and experience would take the seeds that were feasible, and turn them in to proposals for companies and the government. The sight of two rivals working together offered surprise and hope, we also gained support from young people on social networking sites: over 10,000 tweets. As a result, new seeds were sent in from all over Japan, and awarded top prizes in 5 themes offering innovation. They go to operation with Dentsu and Hakuhodo staffs. MIRAI DESIGN LAB became a magnet for ad agencies, youth, and intellectuals.

The Brief

We set two goals for the project. 1. We, the professionals in advertising agencies who move the hearts of the people, will prove that our specialized skills are for the world’s benefit to rediscover the social significance of our work. 2. The campaign is designed to gain the next generation's interest in ad industry. The ad industry’s appeal is weakening as an old-fashioned industry in Japan, and this trend is already becoming apparent.

Results

The sight of two rivals working together offered surprise and hope, we also gained support from young people on social networking sites: over 10,000 tweets. As a result, new seeds were sent in from all over Japan, and awarded top prizes in 5 themes offering innovation. They go to operation with Dentsu and Hakuhodo staffs. This project has generated such a buzz, over 13,000,000 yen worth of PR and leading business publisher Nikkei will publish a book about the project on Aug 25th 2012. MIRAI DESIGN LAB became a magnet for ad agencies, youth, and intellectuals.

Execution

We organized MIRAI, FUTURE, DESIGN LAB. Its theme: “One Future.” We may be business rivals, but we only have one future. As the first step, we asked the next generation, the leaders of the future, for their ideas - the seeds. Dentsu and Hakuhodo using their wisdom and experience would take the seeds that were feasible, and turn them in to proposals for companies and the government. We announced information of the joint project for newspaper publishers, ad industry magazines, TV stations and universities all over Japan with news releases and posters. And we set up a workshop for the next generation and journalists about the world of the future. Judges were selected from among employees of both agencies as well as university professors, former prefectural governors, and others in an effort to attract great minds of Japan.

The Situation

Throughout the world, prospects for the future are extremely gloomy. As advertising is a mirror of the economic, the environment surrounding the ad-industry is getting worse and worse. Furthermore, media innovation leads to advances in communications and entertainment. Unfortunately advertising is clearly lagging behind. We must increase ad-industry’s presence in society again, and that rapidly. We, advertising professionals who move the hearts of the people, can make the future a better place with our specialized skills; Creativity, Innovation, Holistic and Passion. We decided to launch a new project that goes beyond our farms.

The Strategy

The arch-rivals Dentsu and Hakuhodo launched a joint project to brighten up world’s future and the ad industry again. We may be business rivals, but we only have one future. And it’s necessary for especially the young generation to realize ad agencies are changing now. Otherwise, ad industry’s appeal is going to go from bad to worse. To launch a major joint project that goes beyond the ad agencies is the first attempt in Japan. The arch-rivals Dentsu and Hakuhodo launched a major joint project to brighten up the ad industry again.