Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

On "Eye Protection Day," a day dedicated to eye health awareness, Rohto Pharmaceutical, a maker of eye drops, ran a one-day newspaper ad to educate people about the importance of eye health. We designed the ad to inspire the reader to take specific actions that will lead to a better awareness of their own eye health.

Background

We wanted to convey that Rohto Pharmaceuticals is an eye drop manufacturer and a brand with a strong commitment to eye health. Today, smartphones have made our eyes more fatigued than ever, but getting people to recognize the importance of taking concrete steps to keep their eyes healthy is a challenge.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

The ad involved placing a single, strategically gigantic QR code in the newspaper. To scan this oversized code, the reader must physically back away from their newspaper. The code opens a webpage where a message appears advising, "When reading text, maintain a distance of at least 50cm", prompting the reader to think about their eye's health.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

In addition to its bold aesthetic and message, we also designed the ad with social media in mind. With newspaper readers acting as the campaign's launching point, we promoted its dedicated website across various social networking sites, allowing us to convey Rohto's message to the younger generation virtually instantly.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

The implementation was as follows: ・15-column newspaper ad (in two national newspapers) on 10/10 (Oct 10th) ・Dedicated website In terms of timing: ・We selected to launch the campaign on 10/10, Eye Protection Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of eye health.

List the results (30% of vote)

・Product sales → 113% over the previous year. ・Website PV → 21 fold increase (223PV → 4838PV *weekly average) ・Response on Twitter → Over 660,000 total impressions. The campaign also generated over 240 social media posts, the majority of which were positive. The campaign had a significant impact on both the profitability and the branding of the company.