THE SOLO IDOL GROUP

TitleTHE SOLO IDOL GROUP
BrandKOSHIDAKA
Product / Service1KARA
CategoryA10. Best Integrated Content Campaign
EntrantNIHON KEIZAI ADVERTISING Tokyo, JAPAN
Entrant Company NIHON KEIZAI ADVERTISING Tokyo, JAPAN
Contributing Company NIHON KEIZAI ADVERTISING Tokyo, JAPAN
Contributing Company 2 ZENRYOKU Tokyo, JAPAN
Production Company AMANACREATIVE Tokyo, JAPAN
Production Company 2 LOKI Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Wataru Sugata Nihon Keizai Advertising Co. Ltd. Senior Account Manager
Atsuhito Koyanagi Nihon Keizai Advertising Co. Ltd. Account Manager
Taku Masuda Nihon Keizai Advertising Co. Ltd. Agency Producer
Hiroyuki Ishii Nihon Keizai Advertising Co. Ltd. Planner
Katsuya Yamaue Nihon Keizai Advertising Co. Ltd. Account Director
Takashi Abe Remax Inc. Casting Producer
Kai Yaguchi Zenryoku Agency Co. Ltd. Production Producer
Hiroyuki Yamane Zenryoku Agency Co. Ltd. Pr Producer
Kaori Ohashi Adex Design Center Character Designer/Illustrator
Motoko Hayashi Freelance Costume Desiner/Stylist
Jun Matarai Un Corporation Photographer
Eri Kiuchi Amana Inc. Production Producer
Takayuki Yukawa Amana Inc. Production Producer
Hiroyuki Tsuchiya Amana Inc. Art Director
Shinobu Matsuba Amana Inc. Web Producer
Toshihiro Hosokawa Amana Inc. Web Designer
Naoki Akiyama Loki Inc. Film Producer
Kai Fujimoto Freelance Film Director
Kota Fukihara Pop'n Mushroom Chicken Yarou Scenario Writer
Kenji Kinoshita Nihon Keizai Advertising Co. Ltd. Creative Director/Universal Planner/Copywriter

The Campaign

Advertisings are not less preferred in Japan, because they often disturb an existing content or context of media. Especially in recent years, stealth marketing is well known and is hated. So it is very important that branded content is integrated naturally into the context around the audience or the environment. If we achieve that, branded content will be welcomed by consumers, and the brand can engage them.

Results

Challenge: 1KARA is the Japanese first Karaoke shop brand for the exclusive use of one person. The brand was well received by the pioneers at first, but a lot of people still recognized Karaoke as "Karaoke is something we should enjoy with a group of people, not just with oneself." Our aim is to have those people recognize that "You can enjoy Karaoke by yourself." This perception change is our mission. Objective: We launched the special project which is to create "The SOLO Idol GROUP". With this deconstructionist challenge, we tried to attract the attention of many people, to overrule their conventional recognition, and to let them hear the brand's message. Strategy: By integrating tightly the brand into the branded idol group, we designed the project in which the audience recognizes the value of the brand at the same time as they learn about the idol group. Execution: First, we integrated the brand name into the group name. We decided to name the group "ONE COLOR." "ONE COLOR" and "1KARA" are both pronounced as "WAN KARA" in Japanese. Secondly, we integrated various benefits of this brand into the character of each "member" of the group. For example, we found some benefits of this brand as below. 1. You can enjoy singing songs you like. So you don't have to choose songs others know. 2. You can enjoy singing the way you like. So you can enjoy singing without worrying about other people looking at you. So we designed a character that is shy and is also an Anime Freak. She would enjoy singing enthusiastically nameless Anime songs (but she loves them) at 1KARA. In this way we designed the characters of five "members", in which various benefits are integrated.

When we read the context in recent Japanese pop culture that is relevant Karaoke, unprecedented female idol group boom was going on. Especially there have been very large groups, for example an ultra-large group of more than 50 people. In this context, we launched a project to create an idol group with just one person, "The SOLO Idol GROUP". By running counter to the trend, we aimed that the audience is interested in the project. Further we aimed to shake some people's conventional recognitions and stir up distrust of common sense by giving the project an inconsistent name.

After we created the group, we executed some activities as below. Press conference: We announced the launch of the new idol group and the appointment to the image character of the brand. Website: This is both a campaign site for the brand, and a fan site for the audience. Web series: On the above site and YouTube, we published a web series. The idol group communicates with the audience and shows the benefits of the brand. Traditional Advertising and Sales Promotion: Billboard, web banner, flyer sampling, and so on. By the brand's integrating into the branded idol group, while these executions work as advertising for the brand, they are also entertainment by the group or the deconstructionist challenge for the audience. Result: This project was covered by about 130 media, including national network TV, newspapers, a magazine's cover and special feature, and online news. This effect is equivalent approximately over 200% of advertising costs. 1KARA marked the highest sales since the opening, at every branch shop, in 2 consecutive months. Singing Karaoke by oneself was well embraced by the society as a new culture, and there was even a documentary feature by a national TV network, NHK.