Commemorative Ceremony Held for "Newspaper Advertising Day"

The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association held the 56th Newspaper Advertising Day commemorative ceremony at the Tokyo Prince Hotel in Minato Ward on October 18. Approximately 620 participants attended, including representatives from newspapers, advertising clients, and advertising agencies. The ceremony featured the presentation of the 33rd Newspaper Advertising Awards and the 2013 Newspaper Advertising Creative Contest prizes.

Following the opening address by Chairman Kojiro Shiraishi (President of Yomiuri Shimbun Group Headquarters and President of Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Headquarters), guest speaker Akira Ohira, Chairman of the All Japan Advertising Federation (Advisor to Taisho Pharmaceutical), took the stage. He stated, "The winning entries of the Newspaper Advertising Awards effectively utilize the unique characteristics of newspaper advertising, such as curation, networking, and strong local ties. I hope the power of newspaper advertising will invigorate Japan."

Next, Takashi Takashima, Chairman of the Japan Advertising Association (Chairman of Dentsu Inc.), remarked, "While there are bright spots like the recovering economy and the decision to host the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, challenges remain, such as earthquake recovery, consumption tax, and TPP. The mission of newspapers grows ever greater. The opportunity for newspaper advertising also increases with its powerful ability to deliver strong messages to readers."

At the Newspaper Advertising Awards ceremony, the Grand Prize, Advertising Award, and Excellence Award in the Advertiser category, announced on September 4, along with the Advertising Award and Encouragement Award in the Newspaper Publisher Planning category, were presented. Suntory Holdings Vice President Toshiaki Naito, who received the Grand Prize for the "Suntory Kinmugi Local Seasonal Sentiment Project," expressed his gratitude: "Thanks to the unique local content only regional newspapers can provide, we were able to enhance the brand power of Kinmugi. We will strive to make Suntory's advertising a cheer song for our customers' lives."

In his commentary, jury member Yoshifumi Nakajima (President, Wave Creation) expressed his expectations for newspaper advertising, stating, "Powerful advertisements possess a compelling intent that positively impacts readers."

Chairman Shiraishi (left) and Suntory Holdings Vice President Naito

An award ceremony was held for the five winning entries in the newspaper advertising creative contest themed "Happiness." From a total of 1,069 entries, the Grand Prize was awarded to Hiroshi Yamazaki (Hakuhodo) for "Happily Ever After?" Judging Committee Chairman Takayuki Soeda (Director, Soeda Design Studio) commented, "The Grand Prize entry was an edgy piece that captured 'happiness' paradoxically, prompting readers to think. In terms of getting readers to re-evaluate newspaper advertising, we expect this contest to play a role in challenging existing values."

Winning entries from the Newspaper Advertising Awards and the Newspaper Advertising Creative Contest can be viewed on the association's website.