Valentine's Day Special! The 2016 trend is "Commu-Choco."
Valentine's Day is here again. Yes, that once-a-year day when women confess their love to men.
...But if that's what you're thinking, things have changed drastically lately! According to a survey by Ezaki Glico ( "Valentine's Day 2016 Survey" of 624 men and women aged 10s to 40s nationwide ), last Valentine's Day revealed that while one in four men received no chocolate, nearly all female junior high and high school students received some. It's surprising that girls receive more than boys. That's what they call "friendship chocolate."
Furthermore, the same survey found that while only 9.3% of women planned to give "true love chocolates" to someone they wanted to confess to, about 70% agreed it's a day "to deepen communication through chocolate, regardless of gender." Notably, one in three high school boys said they would give chocolate. It seems Valentine's culture is steadily evolving. From the traditional "true love chocolate," to "friend chocolate" exchanged among girls, and now to an era of "communication chocolate" – chocolate enjoyed to foster communication with various people around you, regardless of gender. True love chocolate hasn't disappeared, but the holiday is transforming into a "festival of communication through chocolate," overflowing with more diverse ways to enjoy it.
Could we create a new Valentine's culture?
Against this backdrop, last summer, Ezaki Glico approached us with a question: "Can we create a new Valentine's culture starting with Pocky?" Pocky is famous for its annual buzz around November 11th, Pocky & Pretz Day. As a planner, I remember my heart racing at this ambitious mission: to create a culture as significant as that. Of course, it wasn't just about generating buzz and sales; it had to be a strategy that embodied the brand slogan "Share happiness" and strengthened the brand.
Pocky gets a name change!?
Our team proposed the idea: "Change Pocky's name (for a limited time)." Since Valentine's Day had become a "festival of communication," Pocky wanted to transform into a clear communication tool. We thought: Why not boldly rename the product to a word that connects people?
However, given that it's the universally recognized brand "Pocky," we thought, "Surely we can't just change the name," and expected this proposal wouldn't be chosen. Yet, it was almost immediately decided upon because it was "exciting" and "made you want to try it." We felt the client's determination to take on the challenge and simultaneously reaffirmed that creating good communication stems from the sender's (the client's) will.
There were also three other reasons I proposed this plan.
① Precisely because it's a nationally known brand everyone recognizes, a "name change" would become news.
② People will want to take photos of the packaging. Meaning it's perfect for spreading on social media.
③ It offers an effortless way to communicate without needing to make something by hand or write a message.
I thought it was a project perfectly suited for today's world.
Currently, these renamed Pocky sticks are sold alongside regular "Pocky" in supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide. Thankfully, the hero product, Sukky, has already inspired about 3,500 organic posts on Instagram with the hashtag #sukky, even before Valentine's Day. Seeing so many Sukky sticks genuinely connecting people is quite touching.
Giricky, Ganbicky, Okaeshi.
Sukky wasn't the only one created. Fitting for a festival of communication, we developed a total of 10 naming variations, all now on store shelves. These names weren't chosen arbitrarily. We brainstormed around 800 ideas, held numerous meetings with the client team focusing on which names truly connect people, and overcame hurdles like printing processes, trademarks, and risks to arrive at these final 10.
Sukky for your crush, Giricky for your boss, Sanky for someone you want to thank, Tomokky for friends, Ganbakky to show support, Papakky for dad. There's even Okaeshi for return gifts. We designed this variety so people in different relationships could enjoy it from various emotional angles on February 14th. Beyond the products, we've also implemented initiatives like videos, PR campaigns, and a LINE generator project where you can create package images with your favorite name.
So, that's a look at recent Valentine's trends and examples. This year's Valentine's Day falls on Sunday, making it "Sunday Valentine's." You could spend it relaxing with someone special, give chocolates as early as Friday, or even give them a little late on Monday. Why not make it a day to deepen your connection with someone close through chocolate? Happy Valentine's Day!
"Pocky Renaming Campaign" Staff List
SCD: Shingo Nishida, CD: Soo-Bong Kim, Planning: Oki Miichi, AD: Daisuke Matsunaga, WEB: Tetsuya Matsubayashi, Shingo Miyazaki, PR: Keiji Hayashi
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Author
Oki Miichi
Dentsu Inc.
First, engage with people in their daily lives to understand things firsthand. Consider what and how to communicate to best convey value. Study media to determine where and who can best deliver that message. Work alongside PR professionals. The more you focus on the core work, the broader your scope becomes—but scope alone isn't enough. To maximize impact, creativity is paramount. That's my belief. I've also received various awards.
