Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

We are entering this project in the Sports category because the subject is an Olympic athlete and her lifelong pursuit of an Olympic gold medal. She tells us that all athletes suffer heartbreaking setbacks, but they must have the courage to keep pushing forward. Her strong message encourages everyone to believe in their potential and never stop trying.

Background

Once known around the world as the Witches of the Orient, the Japan women's national volleyball team brilliantly won medals at four consecutive Olympics: a gold medal in Tokyo (1964), silver medal in Mexico City (1968), silver medal in Munich (1972) and gold medal in Montreal (1976). Expectations were so high that even silver medals disappointed fans. Since earning a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, however, the team has failed to win any Olympic medals. Japanese are now desperate to see their female volleyball team win a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Coach Kumi Nakada debuted as a player in 1980 just before the team’s slump began. All of her 1980 teammates had previously won gold medals, so it was natural for her to pursue one for herself.

Describe the creative idea

Our video, Unfinished Games, looks at the life of a female athlete devoted to winning an Olympic gold medal. Kumi Nakada is currently the coach of the Japan women's national volleyball team. She became a member of the 1980 Japanese Olympic team at the age of 15 and participated at the next three Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Seoul and Barcelona. While her career has been brilliant, various setbacks prevented her from fulfilling her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. In the video, she talks about the four games that transformed her life while walking through a museum-like space displaying large images from those games that evoke memories and strong emotions. Still devoted to volleyball, this indomitable female athlete continues her quest on the road to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Describe the strategy

The percentage of females who participate in sports is higher in Japan than in many other developed nations. About 59% of female teens, 49% of females in their 20s, and 40% of females in their 30s participate in sports on a regular basis in Japan. In addition, males and females have equal opportunities to participate in sports at schools. There is still a gender gap in professional sports, where male-dominated sports are more popular than female ones and top male athletes enjoy more fame and wealth than top female athletes. But we hope our video expressing a female athlete’s perspectives before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will raise awareness and promote greater gender equality in Japan.

Describe the execution

When asked which games were turning points in her life, Japan women's national volleyball team coach Kumi Nakada told us the first was her debut as a member of the Japan national team in 1980; the second was the 1988 Seoul Olympics game against Peru, where she felt responsible for her team’s loss; the third was the 1992 Barcelona Olympics loss against Brazil, which convinced her to retire as a player; the fourth was the 2017 World Grand Prix victory over Brazil, which gave her confidence as a national team coach. Strolling past photos from these games, she recounts her memories with more feeling than a conventional interview could evoke. She encounters herself at various stages in life, from the age of 15 onward and finally arrives at a current photo, where she ponders the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and her team.

Describe the outcome

The video was released at the same time as the Japan women's national team roster to increase media attention. The strategy worked, with the media producing over 50 related articles and the video receiving over 2 million views within a month of its release. The video was covered by over 10 TV programs, from where it gained 5.5 million impressions and reached over 50 million people. Consequently, preliminary games for an international volleyball competition in June 2019 gained so much attention that advance tickets sold out.