Grow the Newspaper Fanbase! (2) The World Applauds: Turning Plastic Bottles into Newspapers ~"NEWS BOTTLE!"~

~Newspaper Companies Are Now Launching Such Unique Projects~

Today, the communication domain of newspaper media is expanding beyond the confines of print pages, driven by free-thinking ideas. Initiatives targeting entirely new audiences and innovative reader engagement activities using unprecedented methods are flourishing. In this column, "Shinbun!", we highlight one unique example from each of the five major national newspapers among these new movements, interviewing the responsible staff members.

Increase Newspaper Fans! (2)

The World Applauds: Turning Plastic Bottles into Newspapers
~ Mainichi Shimbun's "NEWS BOTTLE!" ~

"How to get young people to read newspapers" — this question sparked an idea that astonished the world. Print newspaper articles on plastic bottles and sell them at stores, getting people to pick them up. Named "NEWS BOTTLE!", this project launched in summer 2013 won awards consecutively at global advertising festivals including Spikes Asia, AdFest, The One Show, and New York ADC, and also earned a Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions 2014.

Congratulations! Cannes Lions 2014 Bronze

 　

 　

Hidenori Ando

"I had the rare experience for a newspaper employee of working alongside an advertising agency's creators from the initial planning stages all the way to the awards ceremony," says Hidenori Ando of the Mainichi Shimbun Business Development Department. From the initial planning stages, the Mainichi team led by Mr. Ando and the Dentsu Inc. team worked together. They meticulously researched insights into the target youth demographic, deciding on key strategies: utilizing PET bottles, specifically mineral water bottles; keeping the sales price low by incorporating advertising space; embedding AR (augmented reality) in the printed title; and distributing the product at student events. These guidelines were established and implemented.

The latest initiative, which can be considered the second phase, is the "Mainichi Shimbun NEWS CUP." This project transforms paper cups, which likely have more points of contact with consumers, into newspapers. The service launched in late September at select food courts within highway service areas. Future plans include expanding to various locations such as hospitals, companies, and convenience stores.

Mainichi Shimbun NEWS CUP service also launched at highway service area food courts

The PET bottle initiative is also advancing toward its next phase, including the sale of donation bottles at the "The Corporate Games Tokyo 2014" event held in September. Both initiatives anticipate diverse forms of corporate collaboration.

Donation bottles feature labels with articles on environmental and disaster issues, promoting understanding of these problems. Purchasing a bottle also allows a portion of the sales to be donated.

"Through this series of projects moving beyond paper, I clearly understood that a newspaper company's strength lies in its reporting power and content creation capabilities," said Mr. Ando. "I realized the appeal of newspapers isn't limited to paper or the internet; I sensed the potential for media in everything around us." Mr. Ando may have found a hypothesis for the future of newspapers.