Why are creators so particular about snacks?

Cookoo: The mysterious creature born from a famous chef's hat. Loves cooking! Cookoo's insatiable curiosity about food leads her to interview people at Dentsu Inc. doing "delicious work"!

Cookoo: Today, I'd like to introduce Mari Konishi, Creative Director at Dentsu Inc. 5th Creative Planning Bureau (5CRP Bureau).

Konishi: Hello. I'm Konishi, Chair of the Snack Improvement Committee at Dentsu Inc. 5CRP Bureau.

Cookoo: Snack Factory Chairman? Dentsu Inc. has a committee like that?

Konishi: Hehe (laughs). It started as a voluntary activity. You see, at Dentsu Inc.'s CRP divisions, there's a tradition where snacks are placed on the floor at 3 PM. Usually, it's mostly chips and snacks, but once a month, we decided to have a day where we enjoy luxurious snacks based on a theme. We named it the Snack Festival. That's the activity of the Snack Improvement Committee.

Cookoo: Wow! You get to eat snacks during work! That's awesome!

Konishi: Our job is to keep coming up with new ideas every day. But ideas don't just come from staring at your computer at your desk all day, right?

Taking breaks to chat with colleagues or nibble on something sweet helps switch gears. That's how you sometimes catch a hint for a new project. So I thought adding a little luxury to our snack time might positively impact our work.

Cookoo: Snacks as inspiration for ideas?! A workplace like that sounds like a place I could work! What kinds of snack festivals have you had so far?

Konishi: Melon bread festivals, banana festivals, daifuku festivals... We've themed dozens of different snacks. Each time, we buy what we think is the tastiest product and share it. We taste-test everything from classics to trends with our own palates and discuss the best of the best. We take our snacks seriously! Here are the posters announcing past snack festivals.

Posters: Yuji Numazawa (5CRP Bureau)

Cookoo: Wow!! So many posters. They're all shaped like the number 3!

Konishi: Because snack time is at 3 o'clock. Our art director handles the photography and design. Young copywriters write essays about snacks, which we send to bureau members as the Snack Festival invitation email. It's also a chance for them to showcase their copywriting skills to people they don't usually work with.

Cookoo: So, through snacks, all kinds of connections are forming in the CRP Department! I thought snack time was just about eating something tasty, but it also becomes a place where people connect. Konishi-san, why did you start this initiative?

Konishi: It started when I was handling recipe proposal ads for food manufacturers right after joining the company. We'd work with food professionals to develop recipes and create ads, and even deciding on a single menu item involved countless discussions.

Discussions centered around delicious food really get the conversation flowing and deepen and broaden the connections between people. I thought having such a space in the workplace could also lead to new projects and skill development.

Cookoo: So that's how it started!

Konishi: Also, my grandfather was a professional chef. When I was a student, I used to take the bento he made for me to school. Maybe that's why I have such a keen eye for delicious food.

Cookoo: Your grandfather made bento?! Eating a professional chef's cooking every day—I'm so jealous! Come to think of it, I've heard you yourself are a top-notch bento maker. I heard some were even published in a book!

Konishi: I couldn't possibly compare to the pros, but the bento featured in the book was one where I applied my expertise to do the art direction.

Cookoo: Art directing bento??

Konishi: Think of it as a bento that's fun to look at. I used the bento as a canvas to recreate landscapes or express the beauty of nature. While deliciousness is a given, I participated in a project creating bentos that surprise you when opened.

Burgundy Landscape

Kimono

Also featured in "100 Bento Boxes You'll Want to Show Off" (by Masamichi Toyama + Delicious Classroom Committee / Bungeishunju)

Landscapes of Provence

Belt

"Sky, Grass, and Earth" Bento

Cookoo: It's like looking at a painting... Do you eat bento like this every day?

Konishi: Oh no, no. Usually, I send my daughter off with onigirazu and other simple lunches (laughs). But you know, when you keep making them out of obligation, making lunchboxes becomes a chore. As a mother and as a creator, I wanted to enjoy making lunchboxes more. That's what sparked this.

Precisely because work and home life are busy, I want to create enjoyment within them. In that sense, food is the most accessible stress reliever and a source of ideas.

Cookoo: So for you, Konishi, food is a place to encounter something more delicious than just eating, right?

Konishi: That's right. And I got to meet Cookoo too!