MR.SNIFF

TitleMR.SNIFF
BrandLOTTE CO.
Product / ServiceACUO
CategoryA01. Fast Moving Consumer Goods
EntrantDENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Idea Creation DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Media DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
PR SUNNY SIDE UP Tokyo, JAPAN
PR 2 DENTSU PUBLIC RELATIONS Tokyo, JAPAN
Production DASH Tokyo, JAPAN
Production 2 TOW Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Shigeru Ishida DENTSU INC. Executive Creative Director
Yujin Akita DENTSU INC. Creative Planner
Yuma Shingai DENTSU INC. Technology Director
Tatsuro Usui DENTSU INC. Art Director
Nozomi Tokunaga DENTSU INC. Communication Designer
Junta Yoshikawa DENTSU INC. Communication Director
Shinichiro Uewaki DENTSU INC. Communication Planner
Yaichi Kubo DENTSU INC. Account Executive
Hayato Saga DENTSU INC. Account Executive
Teruyoshi Murase DENTSU INC. Account Executive
Ko Izumi DENTSU INC. Robot Planner
Madoka Katsumata DASH CO.,LTD. Producer
Keisuke Ukiana DASH CO.,LTD. Producer
Yutaka Moritomo DASH CO.,LTD. Production Manager
Masayuki Okamoto MANOI KIKAKU Robot Developer
Shunichiro Kuroki AROMA BIT,INC. Sensor Developer
Syotaro Abe iXs Research Corp. System Developer
Yoshio Komatsu AMAZING STUDIO JUR Production Designer
Takashi Kibe TOW CO.,LTD Interactive Producer
Yuzuru Suzuki TOW CO.,LTD Event Producer
Yuya Kanase TOW CO.,LTD Assistant Producer
Yuki Takeuchi SUNNY SIDE UP, INC. PR Producer
Yuna Mori Dentsu Public Relations Inc. PR Planner
Chenko Tsukagoshi THE DIRECTORS GUILD Director
Nobushige Fujimoto Freelance Cinematographer
Yuji Wada Freelance Lighting
Moeno Fujimoto NOUVELLE VAGUE CO.,Ltd Production Designer
Kei Simizu Freelance Director
Miho Okahisa DENTSU CREATIVE FORCE INC. Chief Creative Producer

The Campaign

We developed a robot who was not only capable of a high level of breath analysis, but who also presented this information through a range of entertaining gestures so as not to hurt the feelings of those being tested. We then took Mr. Sniff on the road and analyzed the breaths of people across Japan.

Execution

The project was advertised through TV ads, while Mr. Sniff’s technical specifications were published on our website. We also uploaded streaming music videos that featured numerous dancing Mr. Sniffs in an attempt to create hype for the robot. These efforts helped us maximize the number of volunteers who came out for a breath test at one of the many stops—both planned and spontaneous—we made at supermarkets and public locations across Japan.

The project attracted over 6,800 volunteers who came in for breath tests. It was covered in a total 56 TV programs and newspapers, as well as on 288 websites, which provided us with a combined advertising value of $2,342,060. As a result, 96.7% of those who had heard of the project said that they had become more aware of their breath quality. As a result, 12.4 million people were able to learn about the project, and 96.7% of them said that they had become more aware of their breath quality. The project also turned out to be a successful branding strategy, with ACUO products enjoying a 3% boost in sales compared to the same period from the previous year, despite a slump in the gum market that has seen sales drop by 26% over the last ten years.

The Situation

We developed a breath-analyzing robot, Mr. Sniff, who helped break the social taboo in Japan of talking about breath quality and increase awareness of oral hygiene.

The Strategy

We targeted Japanese people of all ages for this project. Mr. Sniff was primarily developed to circumvent the social taboo of pointing out the quality of someone else’s breath—as well as the difficulty of noticing the quality of one’s own breath—but the fact that the robot resembles popular actor Tori Matsuzaka gave it an instant familiarity and likability. As a result, it was relatively easy to find volunteers willing to have their breaths analyzed.

Links

Supporting Webpage