Why is this work relevant for Media?

‘The Red Restaurants Drive’ sheds light on how old independent restaurants have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are consequently on the verge of extinction. By using media power, we were successful in inducing viewers to support the restaurants. It is a road movie in which the main character travels around Japan enjoying dishes from restaurants that are on the verge of extinction. Utilizing broadcast media, the drama series was successful in changing perceptions of “old restaurants” as valuable, one-of-a-kind, ‘endangered’ establishments that people should visit right away. Many viewers actually visited the restaurants.

Background

TV TOKYO is a major television broadcaster in Japan. It has picked up and showcased many restaurants across Japan on various shows for years, yet due to the outbreak of COVID-19, many restaurants nationwide have been forced into a tight corner. Especially the old independent restaurants are now on the verge of extinction. It’s as if shop after shop is being put on a “Red List” for threatened restaurants. The objective was to create a new media of entertainment that would work to help save the restaurant industry; an endeavour particularly important to television broadcasters since restaurants account for a significant portion of any broadcaster’s programme of shows.

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

“Red Restaurants Drive” The national TV broadcasting station got together to collaborate with 13 cities nationwide. We created a gourmet drama series during the COVID era, which picked up only “endangered restaurants”. The show’s format features a man on a gourmet tour of Japan, visiting these restaurants fighting for their survival. Each episode features real world restaurants on the brink of going out of business. The owners are mostly old, with no successors, and the shops are worn out. The history of each restaurant itself is the plot, and restaurant owner look-alikes were cast.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

When people catch wind of the fact that old establishments are closing down, they rush to eat at these restaurants before the doors close, and it often gets picked up on in the media. So we came up with a ‘Red List’ of ‘endangered meals’ - a list of old but valuable independent restaurants across the country on the verge of extinction - and created content alongside the list to help try and preserve these establishments. As well as our collaboration with TV Tokyo, we also collaborated with 13 local television broadcasting stations nationwide in order to reach a wider audience and increase the numbers of people that would take action.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The show began airing on TV TOKYO in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently released on several streaming sites, including Amazon Prime, hulu, Bilibili, etc. Furthermore, the series branched out into books, and even e-commerce. The entertainment was successful in changing the perceptions of old independent restaurants as valuable, one-of-a-kind ‘endangered’ establishments that people must visit right away.

List the results (30% of vote)

Utilizing broadcast media, the drama series was successful in changing the perceptions of old independent restaurants as valuable, one-of-a-kind ‘endangered’ establishments that people must visit right away. It generated a huge buzz in the COVID-19 period, encouraging many viewers to support the restaurants Detailed results are as follows. - In total, achieving an exposure of 30,000,000 viewers.(on TV TOKYO, Amazon Prime, bilibili, etc) - The sales of featured restaurants have dramatically doubled compared to before the drama series starts. - All episodes became trending topics on twitter. - the series branched out into books, and even e-commerce. And a new series is to come in 2021. Red Restaurants Drive aims to save the national restaurant industry.