Why is this work relevant for Media?

Until now, newspapers have published articles of social issues to communicate with their readers. However, developing eco-bags and addressing issue by using the product as a ‘medium’ of communication resulted in raising readers awareness more effectively, moreover, having the call an action for change. When the project was announced in the newspaper, local companies reached out asking to stock the product, and the newspaper itself became the starting point for consumer purchases. This new challenge has not only been a success of media company but it enabled them to broaden their business model to help solve social problems.

Background

The problem of plastic waste in the oceans has been taken up around the globe, and Japan is no exception. In particular, the ocean is a very important resource for Miyagi in Japan, which has a thriving fishing industry. In recent years, plastic bags are no longer free in Japan, and the use of eco-bags has increased more than ever before. Newspapers have conveyed their importance to their readers, but that alone has had only a limited effect. More targeted actions were required to solve the problem.

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

We created eco-bags and use these things as a new medium to convey information. We decided to reuse fishing nets, which are one big contributor to plastic waste. These eco-bags, which are upcycled from fishing nets that would otherwise be discarded, are sturdy, long-lasting, and address a major contributor to plastic waste in the ocean; they reduce waste both in the ports and in households. By selling the eco-bags, a part of the sales was used for environmental conservation.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Environmental problems cannot be solved overnight. So we felt it was necessary to make it a habit to be aware of the environment.This is why we decided to focus on eco-bags that are used on a daily basis. Products that function as new media space, something that presents a new challenge for newspaper companies.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

For Kahoku Shimpo, which boasts a history of more than 100 years as the local newspaper, regional revitalization is the brand’s purpose. Until now, as a newspaper company, they’ve been trying to revitalize the local area by taking it up in the local news, but this time we decided to take a longer-term perspective of local development and tackling environmental issues. A newspaper advertisement was printed in August as a declaration of the start of the campaign. Every month, as a progress report, we reported on the flow of the production process and fostered a sense of expectation for the release. It launched at the end of October, and the actual sales of the product were widely conveyed in ads in the paper.

List the results (30% of vote)

Since the announcement the campaign was featured heavily in the media, and the product design was highly rated and featured in design specialty online media. We sold out completely in about a week from the sales launch. The proceeds were donated to an environmental conservation group, and were used to dispose of garbage on beaches and in the ocean and beautify the marine environment.

Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work

Fishing is one of the most important industries in Miyagi prefecture, where Kahoku Shimpo newspaper is located. However, 10 years ago the Great East Japan Earthquake severely damaged coastal areas. Although reconstruction is progressing, it is crucial that newspaper companies inform citizens of the prefecture about problems in the coastal areas and take steps to solve them. Precisely because the client is the newspaper company that has been watching over the area, we took action as was necessary.