Why is this work relevant for Media?

What’s the best medium for the brand Pocky? What medium is globally-competitive, not-language-reliant, and easy to understand for all? We believe this is the unique media-driven project no other brand can imitate.

Background

Pocky, a chocolate snack made in Japan, was not well-known in the global market. In late 2019 its global launch (ASEAN + US) was planned. To make its unique signature shape design and the brand name Pocky well known, we needed a creative idea and select a right medium with a limited budget.

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

Pocky was already there in the world of games! We discovered that there is a moment when the health gage looks like a Pocky stick itself. Having considered this health gage could work as a great medium to boost Pocky’s recognition, we created a new play style for one of the game genres which requires fighters to strictly focus on their health gages: fighting game. The rule goes, fighters need to match their health gage to Pocky’s chocolate-to-biscuit ratio by taking just the right amount of damage before winning the match: ‘Pocky K.O.’, that’s what we call it.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We took notice of eSports because of its good compatibility with snacks: players often eat snacks while playing and viewers while watching eSports. Having additionally considered non-verbal entertainment with global fan base is the key to make the global launch a success, we chose eSports/game market as an ideal domain. Plus, Pocky’s character lies in its unique figure: A figure you can’t forget once you see it. This uniquely designed figure must be imprinted into the viewer’s mind. We brought to light that there is a moment when the health gage in the game looks just like Pocky itself. Being sure that 100% of players focused on their health gage while playing, we concluded this is the best medium for the brand. Amid many stereotypical co-sponsorships, we needed to launch unique content to build a strong engagement with users. That’s how we produced the idea of ‘Play’cement, instead of ‘Place’ment.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Together with the world’s most played fighting game ‘Street Fighter’, we created a new way to enjoy it. The new rule: control your health gage to match up with the Pocky’s chocolate and biscuit ratio and when it perfectly matches, beat your opponent: Pocky K.O. In collaboration with Capcom, we developed and launched an original version of Street Fighter, ’Street Fighter V Pocky EDITION’, implementing Pocky K.O. UI specification. The first debut was at the Street Fighter’s World Tournament 2019. Professional gamers played it to celebrate its exhibition match and the excitement was streamed across the world and went viral. “Now any health gages just look like Pocky to me!”, said some participants. We also held user-interactive events and sold limited edition Pocky packages, all contributed to driving Pocky’s sales.

List the results (30% of vote)

To win, players have to maintain control over their own health gauge like never before, creating a totally new gaming experience. This campaign was rolled out in ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and U.S. as well as Japan. It caused a ton of buzz over social media, word spreads throughout ASEAN, U.S. and beyond, reaching over a hundred countries without any ad spending. Most importantly, this campaign contributed to the sales increase. ・Total Views 4.5 million (YouTube & Twitch） ・Total Online Readership 78.6 billion ・Pocky’s Sales increase by 120%