Junpei Iwata's Book

Come to think of it, my very first English presentation was at NASA. It was at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, a roughly 20-minute talk that started with "Well...last summer, I struck the news that..." Why do I remember the exact words? Because my English was absolutely terrible. In fact, I memorized the entire script word for word and delivered it like I was performing on stage. Recently, I visited Los Angeles on a business trip to the US for the first time in quite a while since then. It was a hectic commercial shoot, so I didn't have much time, but I still managed to get a burger at In-N-Out, which I'd heard so much about.

Despite being over 50 years old, this chain is only found around California. Its defining feature is its commitment to authenticity. They use absolutely no frozen ingredients; for example, they cut the potatoes for fries right in the store. They pay their staff high wages, yet keep the price per item low. It's precisely because they defied the so-called "conventional wisdom of chain restaurant management" that they've achieved such great success.

I once toured the central kitchen (large-scale cooking facility) of a major domestic restaurant chain and was impressed. While the system was designed to eliminate waste completely, the actual cooking procedures were exactly the same as cooking in a regular home kitchen. The only difference was that instead of making three servings, they made hundreds of times that amount. They then refrigerated and delivered it to nearby stores, where it was finished... How incredibly efficient! Because of experiences like this, I'm quite favorable towards central kitchens. That said, In-N-Out's philosophy also made my mouth water. Whether it's efficiency or authenticity, half-measures won't cut it; it's crucial to be consistent with one core concept (idea) from start to finish.

Sorry for the long, boring story. The copywriter I'm working with on this campaign shoot, Junpei Iwata, recently published a book titled 'Still, I Look Forward' (Shinyusha).

Mr. Iwata is a genius at finding fresh, compelling angles on everything. In this latest work, he discovered a new form of "fiction" that feels like it should be called "short-short-shorts."

Each piece, developed as advertising copy for the canned coffee "Roots," features a large blank space at its center. This stimulates the imagination, inviting readers to envision grand (or incredibly relatable) dramas. This style itself is the big concept (idea).

Every work introduced here, including "Email," "Popularity Peak," and "Risk," offers a fresh perspective that makes you think, "Ah! That's right!! (But I never noticed!)" The combination of these two concepts—the grand idea and the smaller insight—means you'll find yourself chuckling every time you reread them.

Calling Mr. Iwata a "genius" might not be entirely accurate. Come to think of it, he once said, "Unless you're cornered, you can't come up with ideas others wouldn't think of." Indeed, his notebooks are always densely filled with handwritten text. Write, write, think, think, agonize, agonize. Yet, he never lets you sense any of that behind-the-scenes struggle—that's the mark of a true professional.

...But enough of that boring theory. It's a fun book, so please check out 'Still, I Look Forward.'

Next time, we'll cover a new challenge in Miyazaki Prefecture.

Enjoy!