Title | FOUL BALL ARMOUR PROJECT |
Brand | FOX SPORTS JAPAN |
Product / Service | FOX SPORTS |
Category | C01. Best Integrated Campaign Led by PR |
Entrant | HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Tokyo, JAPAN |
Entrant Company | HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S Tokyo, JAPAN |
Advertising Agency | HAKUHODO Tokyo, JAPAN |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Takaaki Kurabayashi | Hakuhodo Inc. | Account Director |
Kazuaki Sawai | Hakuhodo Inc. | Account Director |
Junji Totsuka | Hakuhodo Inc. | Account Manager |
Takuya Nakanishi | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Project Manager |
Koji Fujiwara | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Producer |
Shigehiko Kumagai | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Producer |
Shota Shimizu | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Director |
Shunsuke Ito | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Copywriter |
Shuhei Segawa | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Planner |
Yumi Ezure | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Designer |
Takehito Takizawa | Hakuhodo Product`s Inc. | Creative Director |
Toru Kimura | Hakuhodo Inc. | Executive Creative Director |
With the World Cup growing in popularity, Japanese TV viewership is gravitating away from baseball. In this context, we developed a two-phase campaign to communicate the overwhelming intensity of Fox Sports’ baseball broadcasts to young people. First, we circulated a rumor to the effect that you can “Watch Fox Sports for footage so real you can’t be sure that a foul ball won’t fly through your TV screen” on the Internet. Ten days later, we unveiled the key elements of Foul Ball Armour as protection against foul balls flying through your TV screen. This special armour became well known among young people, mainly online.
The objective is to get non-baseball fans interested in Fox Sports baseball broadcasts and become fans of the Fox Sports Japan Facebook page.
Articles about the Foul Ball Armour appeared in more than 100 newspapers and news websites. On YouTube, the Foul Ball Armour video has received about 300,000 hits. The free paper craft file has been downloaded some 5,000 times, and we have successfully conveyed the appeal of Fox Sports baseball broadcasts to many young people.
We initially restricted exposure of the story to public transport advertisements and YouTube to ensure uncertainty about its authenticity and develop it as a topic among the target audience. After the unveiling of the Foul Ball Armour, we showcased it extensively through public transport advertising, YouTube, press conferences, baseball events and outdoor exhibitions.
With the World Cup growing in popularity, Japan is seeing a shift away from baseball viewership. Fox Sports launched its baseball broadcasts as the latest addition to the major sports broadcasting brands in Japan.
First, we created a story online and in other media to the effect that you can “Watch Fox Sports for footage so real you can’t be sure that a foul ball won’t fly through your TV screen.” Ten days later, we unveiled the specially developed Foul Ball Armour as protection against foul balls flying through your TV screen.