The Campaign

The ETO animal for 2018 is the dog, and the project ARF!-itecture aimed at transforming the old culture, into a new CREATIVE CONSTRUCTION ART that involves today’s people into creation. Various dog illustrations were created with slits on their mouth & legs so that they can form flat dog-shaped blocks that act as the versatile construction parts. A huge 3-meter dog monument was constructed using 350 blocks as the landmark. Small “puppy” versions of these flat blocks were also created for the visitors to build their own ARF!-itecture. The event let visitors at Tokyo Midtown, feel joy and a sense of accomplishment, by completing original creative pieces symbolizing the New Year and allowed them to look forward to a wonderful creative year. It was an event intended to architect the brand image of Tokyo Midtown as a “center for art and design” by providing quality, creative time for the visitors.

The Brief

Overall budget : 2.3 million Japanese Yen (21 thousand US$) Breakdown of costs : --Construction of the main dog statue : 1.7 million JPY (15 thousand US$) --Production of small cards for participants’ creation : 400 thousand JPY (3.6 thousand US$) --Other costs (small appliances, running costs, etc.) : 200 thousand JPY (1.8 thousand US$) To achieve effective promotion, we intentionally focused the limited budget to the development & refinement of the ARF!-itecture ~CREATIVE CONSTRUCTION ART~ itself. As the project has been experienced by the targets and the fun of making original pieces of art has been expanded including SNS, that movement made chance for additional exhibition in the other Cultural Center. In this way, as the project spreads by itself as the modern ETO culture in Japan, the brand value of Tokyo Midtown has been enhanced and conveyed effectively.

Creative Execution

53 different dog illustrations were created incorporating the calculated slit system so that people can combine different types of blocks freely for creative construction. The precision of the block connections was based on the high-level Japanese craftsmanship, using no adhesives. The illustrations made the objects of art would look cool, whoever the construction was done by. The dog illustrations were designed after typical poses & shapes for dogs, such as floor dogs & long dogs. Variations of festive colors and patterns were prepared to allow rich expression. At the New Year event of Tokyo Midtown, A huge dog monument was constructed for the targets’ appreciation. Small versions of the flat blocks enabled visitors to indulge in creating their own ARF!-itecture. Their art pieces were also exhibited for broader interest. As the modern ETO culture is experienced by many targets and leave strong impression, the culture itself would expand automatically.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

From young to old, from singles to families, variety of people participated in the event, indulging in creative work. The entire atrium was filled with the participants and their pieces of art. The event went viral in various media including SNS, and there was high interest including many inquiries about purchasing the dog-shaped blocks. Through the ARF!-itecture, people experienced the joy and sense of achievement in doing something very creative from the New Year. A total of 35,000 pieces of the blocks were used. Furthermore, as ARF!-itecture has been appreciated as cultural project by Chiba Prefectural Cultural Center, there took place an 3-months-long exhibition where the giant dog statue was shown and had 135 thousand visitors who are interested in cultural events. Through them, the Tokyo Midtown’s brand concept “making culture as center for art and design” was conveyed effectively to the target and the Japanese community.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

The client Tokyo Midtown is the shopping mall and cultural complex including art & design museums located in Roppongi Tokyo. They wanted to enhance their brand image as “the center for art and design” and thus wanted their New Year event to strengthen the creative brand image. The proposed idea was to utilize the Japanese ETO animal of the year and develop a creative New Year construction art that the customers can also create their own piece of art, experiencing the joy and sense of achievement from the creation. The client’s creative brand image was well communicated through the experience.

The target customers of Tokyo Midtown range from young to old and from singles to families. As the shopping mall and museum complex in the center of Tokyo, the customers are generally wealthy and highly educated. Thus in the idea development, we focused on the ideas of intelligent & creative event that can interest and attract the target customer’s mind. Through the project, we focused on re-creating the ETO culture, which had not been involving people, to a modern culture, rather than merely making a shopping mall advertisement. The resulting project is ARF!-itecture ~new creative construction art~. As the targets experience the project and be impressed, then expand it in the SNS, the brand value of Tokyo Midtown would be enhanced and conveyed effectively by itself.