NEWSPAPER OF FATE

TitleNEWSPAPER OF FATE
BrandTV ASAHI CORPORATION
Product / Service"YOUR NAME." TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION BROADCAST
CategoryB03. Use of Print / Outdoor
EntrantDENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Idea Creation DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Media Placement THE ASAHI SHIMBUN COMPANY Tokyo, JAPAN
Production COMIX WAVE FILMS INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Production 2 TAKI CORPORATION Tokyo, JAPAN
Additional Company DIP CORPORATION Tokyo, JAPAN
Additional Company 2 LOTTE AD. CO. Tokyo, JAPAN
Additional Company 3 MISAWA HOMES CO., LTD. Tokyo, JAPAN
Additional Company 4 NISSHIN FOOD PRODUCTS CO., LTD, TOKYO, JAPAN
Additional Company 5 SOFTBANK MOBILE CORPORATION Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Kazuhiko Akatsu TV Asahi Corporation Executive Producer
Takanobu Sano TV Asahi Corporation Producer
Hitoshi Ito TV Asahi Corporation Producer
Takahide Kayanuma TV Asahi Corporation Producer
Hirota Suito TV Asahi Corporation Producer
Sachiko Nishioka TV Asahi Corporation Producer
Yoshitsugu Takahashi TV Asahi Corporation Producer
Chiharu Ochiai CoMix Wave Films Inc. Producer
Tomoko Hazuma TOHO Co., Ltd. Producer
Kohei Iwahashi TOHO Co., Ltd. Producer
Tomoko Maruyama TOHO Co., Ltd. Producer
Kae Masuhara DENTSU INC. Producer
Tomohiro Takagi DENTSU INC. Chief Media Planner
Mami Nagatani DENTSU INC. Media Planner
Sayaka Arimoto DENTSU INC. Copywriter
Seitaro Miyachi DENTSU INC. Planner
Kazunori Kawagoshi DENTSU INC. Art Director
Mio Ueda DENTSU INC. Art Director
Sumina Sugita DENTSU INC. Creative Producer
Nodoka Makita TAKI corporation. Graphic Designer
Kana Kobayashi TAKI corporation. Graphic Designer
Seiya Endo TAKI corporation. Graphic Producer
Shota Ashino un Corporation. Photographer
Rumi Ando un Corporation. Retoucher
Rei Tanigai amana inc. Photo Producer

Why is this work relevant for Media?

We exploited the translucency of newspaper material, normally considered a negative characteristic, for a double-sided ad to recreate the climactic scene of the movie “Your Name.” in which the two protagonists ultimately meet across space and time. Readers were encouraged to hold the newspaper up to a light, magically bringing the isolated pair together for the fateful moment. The experience triggered surprise and wonder, successfully leading to trending topics in digital media. As a result, some 5 million viewers enjoyed the movie in real time on TV.

Background

Director Makoto Shinkai’s animated film “Your Name.” was released in 2016. The movie proved to be a record-breaker in Japan and brought in 300 million US dollars in revenues worldwide. It earned a 97% approval rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and prompted Hollywood to proceed with a live-action adaptation. Three years later, in 2019, “Your Name.” was scheduled for televised broadcast. A major effort was required to bring 3-year-old content to the forefront and spur viewer excitement in an era of film enjoyment on DVD and Netflix.

Describe the creative idea/insights (30% of vote)

Our idea was to sweep the audience into the crucial scene. The film revolves around Mitsuha, a rural high school girl, and Taki, a city boy. The pair are united by a mysterious occurrence. They randomly switch places in their dreams. Adding further complexity, the switches occur across space and time. After exchanges in various timelines, the pair meet in a climactic twilight scene. Similar to the movie’s characters, the front and back of a newspaper page are physically isolated. We developed a double-sided ad depicting a twilight moment with images of Mitsuha and Taki printed on either side of the page. As readers apply light from the back, the translucent characteristics of the newspaper page allows the pair to meet at last. The advertisement was designed to pique the curiosity of those who have yet to see the film, and to rekindle interest among potential repeat viewers.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We considered “simultaneity” the prime motivator for enjoying movies on television. It allows viewers to instantly share their feelings and experience digitally while watching the same movie at the same time. This led us to develop a strategic ad campaign that which would also go viral digitally, luring people back to their TV screens. Exploiting the thin paper used in newspaper media, our creatives generated astonishment and strong passion across a huge audience. As people shared their feelings on social media, announcement of the movie broadcast also spread.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The ad was run in the morning edition of Asahi Newspaper, Tokyo Headquarters version (3.64 million copies), on the morning of the broadcast. Twitter posts about the ad and broadcast reached more than 30 million people by the time “Your Name.” appeared on TV screens.

List the results (30% of vote)

During the broadcast, our ads generated over 300,000 tweets worldwide, becoming the top global trend at the time, with over 20 Twitter hashtags trending. The result wasn’t simply the televising of a movie, but rather an impromptu festival of nationwide viewers enjoying the same content simultaneously. In fact, over 5 million people enjoyed the film in real time. Innumerable teens confessed to purchasing a newspaper for the first time, and middle-aged viewers avowed their renewed appreciation for hand-held newspapers. Newspaper offices nationwide received inquiries, while auction sites enjoyed elevated resale prices and the newspaper print medium gained a new point of access.