Why is this work relevant for PR?

Because the idea of the first ever virtual encouragement ceremony using Japan's best technology provided an opportunity to connect the athletes with the many people who actually wanted to support the athletes, even though there were strong voices against holding the Olympics, and as a result, a record number of 1.2 million people participated. Also, because the event was covered by many media outlets and created a sense of anticipation for the Olympics in Japan.

Background

The Japanese Olympic Committee has always held encouragement ceremonies to show support for the Japanese national team competing in the Olympics. However, it became difficult to hold an actual gathering as in the past due to COVID-19. Furthermore, public opinion in Japan was divided on the pros and cons of holding the Olympics amid the pandemic, and many athletes felt unable to take part in the Games with their heads held high. The challenge was to find a way to encourage athletes under such circumstances.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

In response to this situation, on July 6, 2021, we held the TOKYO 2020 Virtual Encouragement Ceremony, the first-ever online encouragement ceremony for athletes. Real shows of support and cheering from all over Japan were delivered to the athletes on stage at the Digital National Stadium.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

As the question of whether or not to hold the Olympics was being raised, it was considered taboo to express support for the athletes, and there were many citizens who really wanted to support the athletes but could not. In response to this, we decided to ""unite our hearts. Let hope be your strength. Under the key message of ""Unite our hearts, make hope into strength,"" we held the first ever virtual encouragement ceremony, safe even from the Corona disaster. This was the world's first effort to digitally unite the public, who had been reluctant to voice their support due to public scrutiny, and the athletes, who could not take the Games seriously due to many opposing views.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

For the first time in history, the stage was set in the Digital National Stadium, which was recreated using 3D technology, in order to make it a pep rally that people who are rooting for the athletes as well as those who have been indifferent to the Olympics would want to watch and participate. The highlight of the event was a live performance by a national artist while utilizing Japan's best volumetric capture technology. In addition, the words and figures of support collected from all over Japan were displayed there, and the Corona Damascene also visualized the feelings of support to deliver encouragement to the athletes participating remotely. In addition, ribbons and flags using the latest LED technology were used in a performance symbolizing the light of hope, to encourage the athletes who were taking on the challenge of the Olympics under uncertain circumstances.

List the results (30% of vote)

A total of 582 athletes participated, a 70% increase from the previous record attendance. With the live streaming, 1.2 million people, 400 times more than the real event, attended the Virtual Encouragement Ceremony in real time and delivered their words of support. The best result of all was that the athletes, seeing the cheering voices of the people, shed tears of joy. The flags that we presented at the pep rally were voluntarily brought by the athletes to the opening ceremony of the Olympics. As a result, Japan's athletes won a record 58 medals. They also won a record 27 gold medals. The people who supported the athletes were also encouraged by their performance. Even though we couldn't see them in real life, we succeeded in lighting a light of hope in the hearts of the athletes and the world with the power of the latest technology and ideas.