Title | SOBA ALLERGY TATTOO CHECKER |
Brand | DAITAN HOLDINGS CO. (FUJI SOBA), 230 SOBA STREET PROMOTION COMMITTEE |
Product / Service | SOBA (BUCKWHEAT NOODLE) PROMOTION |
Category | A08. Charities, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages |
Entrant | J. WALTER THOMPSON JAPAN Tokyo, JAPAN |
Idea Creation | J. WALTER THOMPSON JAPAN Tokyo, JAPAN |
Production | C3 FILM Tokyo, JAPAN |
Production 2 | BIGWAVE.CO.,LTD. Tokyo, JAPAN |
Contributing | SIGNAL Tokyo, JAPAN |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Go Sohara | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Executive Creative Director |
Riki Kawanami | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Account Director |
Takanori Miyasaka | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Associate Account Director |
Keizo Mugita | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Senior Creative Director, Copywriter |
Itaru Fujikawa | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Account Manager |
Hiromi Omata | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Account Manager |
Masayoshi Yambe | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Web Developer |
Kazuya Tanino | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Art Director, Designer |
Yosuke Uchiyama | C3Film Co., Ltd. | Director |
Takuma Kinoshita | C3Film Co., Ltd. | Chief Producer |
Hiroaki Yamanashi | C3Film Co., Ltd. | Producer |
Takeshi Arai | C3Film Co., Ltd. | Production Manager |
Toru Chino | Freelance | Illustrator |
Yumeto Matsubara | Freelance | Photographer |
Bao HO Nguyen | C3Film Co., Ltd. | Director, Photographer |
Mami Nomura | Center Kita Hiro Clinic | Doctor(dermatologist) |
Joji Hayashi | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Account Executive |
Yuichiro Saito | J. Walter Thompson Japan | Associate Director |
At the request of Fuji Soba (Japan’s largest soba restaurant chain) and 230 Soba Street Promotion Committee (Soba restaurant association), we developed Soba Allergy Tattoo Checker, the sticker for an easy and fun allergy test. Based on the fact that over 80% of tourists want experiences and souvenir unique to Japanese culture, the sticker design is in the motif of Ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints). When applying the sticker to the skin and if there is an allergic reaction, a part of the design flares up. Allergy tests are not something that is particularly exciting however, the Soba Allergy Tattoo Checker added an entertainment element to it, making soba allergy testing a memorable and enjoyable travel experience. Furthermore, we made allergic reactions, something that is usually perceived negatively, into something positive and perhaps even desirable; cool changes in color can only be seen with an allergic reaction.
The Soba Allergy Tattoo Checker uses a commonly used allergy test method; the skin prick test. After placing the sticker on the skin, Soba-yu (residual water collected after boiling Soba) is glazed over. As well as acting as the glue, this Soba-yu also acts as allergen. Certain parts of the tattoo design is intentionally made transparent, so when there is an allergic reaction, the redness of the skin shows through, making it look as if the design flared up in color. This Soba Allergy Tattoo Checker was developed under the supervision of dermatologist Mami Nomura. There are 7 different designs available, allowing the subjects to choose designs that they like. The designs are all original, and adopt a Ukiyoe-style (Japanese woodblock prints) that resemble traditional Japanese artwork which tends to attract tourists. Additionally, incentives were developed and provided to encourage people to share their Soba Allergy Tattoo Checkers via SNS.
News on this activation immediately spread nationwide and overseas, gaining over 4 million Reach only on social media. More than 300 media vehicles featured this topic, including online news, blogs, newspapers, magazines, radio and TV programs. Surprisingly, it also gained over 20 million Media Impressions within a month. Many different categories of media covered this activation including those for travelers, foreigners living in Japan, food, cooking, medical, design, and entertainment for the young to science, creating a huge buzz across many people including foreign tourists.
Soba (buckwheat noodle), a representative Japanese dish, may cause serious allergic reactions. In order to inform foreign tourists about this and increase awareness of soba allergy, we developed media that enabled to approach each of them. This media served as an easy and quick allergy test. We also exercised our ingenuity to promote sharing of the test result and generate buzz.
Influenced by cheaper yen, foreign tourists visiting Japan is ever-increasing. Approx. 14 million foreign tourists came to Japan in 2015, which was 50% more than the previous year. It continues double-digit growth in the past 5 years. Due to the increasing number of tourists, more and more foreign visitors are coming in contact with Japanese food. However, almost none of them know that soba may cause serious allergic reactions. Among the foreign tourists in Japan each year, at least 13,000 are allergic to soba. In order to target them efficiently, we approached tourists in Sapporo near Niseko Ski Resort and Asakusa, Tokyo, both of which are popular destination among tourists.