The Campaign

A brand logo called, “atarashiichizu” was developed to announce the sudden new activity of the men. The brand logo design was changed slightly according to different newspapers. This lead people to post comparisons of the different designs side by side on SNS, and conjecture on the meaning behind the brand logo, as it became a major topic. Sharing of newspaper visuals on SNS in itself was a novel exploration of possibility.

Creative Execution

September 22, 2017: “atarashiichizu” announced their new activity. September 22, 2017: Double page newspaper spread with only the brand logo and their three names was released in newspapers. October 16, 2017: Movie, The Bastard and The Beautiful World trailer was released. April 6, 2018: Movie played in 86 theaters for a limited run of 2 weeks.

Immediately after the brand film went live on the “atarashiichizu” site, plays shot to over 2.8 million, and over 2,000 messages of support were received. The ad designs varied slightly by each newspaper, leading people to post comparisons of the different designs side by side on SNS. Many people conjectured on the meaning behind the brand logo, and it became a major topic. Sharing of newspaper visuals on SNS in itself was a novel exploration of possiblity. Despite the movie, The Bastard and The Beautiful World only playing in 86 theaters for 2 weeks, it recorded an audience of 280,000 people.

We deemed this category appropriate because we conducted thorough branding of three stars who broke from their previous agency and went independent, using various methods, expressions, and tactful use of media, to create a, “new departure.”

First we developed a brand logo called, “atarashiichizu”, which symbolized their identity. This “atarashiichizu” was not a group name, but rather a concept that embodied their will. Next, we produced a brand film which delved into the inspiration behind this “atarashiichizu”. We made September 22nd X DAY, when the brand film went live on the web. On the same day, in 30 morning edition newspapers, a double page spread only featuring the brand logo and the three men’s names was released. In addition to this, we produced the movie, The Bastard and The Beautiful World, showing the public a concrete manifestation of the three actors’ new challenge. By making SNS the platform of activity, it made a more intimate appeal for their charm, creating possibility for promotion beyond traditional methods.