What's the difference between AdWii and AdTech?

Previously on AdWeek
Izawa learned that Advertising Week (AdWeek, referred to as "AdWeek" in this series) would be held for the first time in Japan over four days starting Monday, May 30th. He interviewed Ikegami-kun (Dentsu Inc. PR), the PR office manager for AdWeek Asia, and grasped the basics. But honestly, "I don't get how it's different from other domestic and international awards or AdTech events... Hmm, I'm confused." So, he decided to get straight to the source and clear up this confusion by interviewing Yoshihiko Kasamatsu (CEO of Ignite), the Executive Director of AdWeek Asia.

Nice to meet you, Mr. Secretary General.

Izawa: So Ignite handles the secretariat for AdWise Asia, right?

Ikegami: For planning, we get support from an Advisory Council of nearly 30 industry professionals who provide various ideas. There are also sponsor companies and firms helping with operations. It feels like Mr. Kasamatsu from Ignite is convincing all sorts of people to cooperate.

Izawa: So, Kasamatsu-san must be quite the smooth operator. I wonder what kind of lines he uses to persuade people... Is he a charming sort...?

Ikegami: Hey, hey! What are you expecting?

Izawa: Ahem.

Ikegami: Okay, we're here. This is the Adwisia secretariat, Ignite's office. It's pretty stylish, huh? Let's go up!

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: Hello, Izawa-san. I'm Kasamatsu, Executive Director of Advertising Week Asia.

Izawa: H-Hello... nice to meet you (Oh, a dandy-style guy with glasses, here he comes lol). Director Kasamatsu, I'd love to learn all about things from you today.

Director Kasamatsu: Ask me anything.

Tokyo is the hub of the advertising world!

Izawa: First, I'd like to ask about the background behind choosing Asia, and specifically Tokyo, as the host city.

Executive Director Kasamatsu: Looking at global advertising spend shares, Asia-Pacific is said to account for half of the world's total. Of course, this depends on how you define Asia-Pacific. If we include China and stretch from New Zealand to India, Asia-Pacific ranks second globally. Considering how to boost the advertising industry, naturally we want to secure Asia.

Izawa: When we talk about Asia, economically speaking, Shanghai is a major city, and financially, Singapore is a key hub. Why was Tokyo chosen as the host city?

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: From the advertising and media industry's perspective, Tokyo is constantly innovating and has stable growth potential. Considering the industry's maturity level as well, Tokyo is the advertising hub of Asia. It seems the organizers, Stillwell Partners, made that judgment and decided to hold it here.

Izawa: I see. So Tokyo was chosen, and more specifically, the Roppongi area was selected as the venue.

Ikegami: So Roppongi is like Japan's Times Square, right?

Izawa: Stores stay open late, so you never run out of places to drink, and it's an area inextricably linked to the advertising industry. Makes perfect sense! Plus, there's a great fried rice place too!

Ikegami: (Here he goes again...) So, the difference from AdTech and the various awards is...

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: AdTech is a festival for ad technology, and awards like Cannes or Clio, while they have various categories, are ultimately festivals for creativity. In other words, I think those are single-theme events with a clear purpose and a somewhat narrowed-down genre.

Ikegami: I see.

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: Advertising Week, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of a single-theme event. It encompasses everything. You've got ad tech, creative, media. It's a place where everyone from the advertising industry, media companies, content holders, and creatives—people from all genres—come together under one roof. I don't think there's another event like it anywhere in the world.

Izawa: So, within the advertising industry, does that mean there's content enjoyable not just for creatives, but also for marketing staff, media representatives, and perhaps even salespeople?

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: It's for everyone and no one in particular. In other words, it's an event with something for everyone. Until now, most advertising industry events have spotlighted creatives, and mass media advertising sales reps were rarely the focus. Even though the majority of advertising budgets still go to mass media placements.

Izawa: But with AdWii, those people can enjoy it too. So it's an event for everyone who supports the advertising industry, right?

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: Exactly. Advertisers, media professionals—everyone can enjoy it, regardless of their department.

Izawa: I'm starting to get excited.

Director Kasamatsu: That excitement is precisely the theme this time.

Creating "Enthusiasm."

Izawa: What do you mean by that?

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: Shall we move somewhere else to talk?

Izawa:Whoa!

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: The theme for this AdW Asia is "Creating Enthusiasm."

Izawa: What exactly does "passion" mean?

Kasamatsu: Advertising isn't about making things, right? It's about figuring out how best to communicate the products, services, and messages that companies and organizations create to reach consumers. In today's world, just listing specs won't sell anything. You need to be creative in how you communicate.

Izawa: That's where creativity comes into play, right?

Kasamatsu: Exactly. If the recipient just goes "Hmm," that's not truly getting the message across. I believe people only truly receive a message when it moves them – when they think "Wow, that's amazing" or "I really like this." I think everyone in advertising does this job because they find that "moment when someone's heart is moved" so rewarding.

Izawa: So that "moment when someone's heart is moved" is what creates "enthusiasm," right?

Kasamatsu, Secretary-General: Exactly. To put it more simply: "Creativity excites the industry!"

Izawa: (No, no, that's confusing. It's in English!) Um...

Kasamatsu: It means creativity drives innovation in the industry. Not just advertising—in any industry, genres that spark people's passion always involve creativity. That creativity is what energizes the entire field.

Izawa: Ah, I see. For example, in the fashion industry, UNIQLO revolutionized the market through material development and production system innovations, changing the industry's established norms.

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: Exactly. Whether it's fashion, construction, or even the culinary industry, new value emerges when someone's creativity is unleashed. AdWii isn't just a self-congratulatory gathering for advertising people. We want it to be a cross-cultural event where people from various industries participate and share each other's "recipes" or "essence" of creativity. That's what the concept "Creativity excites the industry" means!

Izawa:Awesome! That's so clear!! (sparkles)

Ikegami: ( Whoa, this guy's eyes are glowing. Wait, is this Kasamatsu-san's persuasion technique...?) I-I see.

Executive Director Kasamatsu: It's something I picked up from Kentaro Kimura at Hakuhodo Kettle, one of our Advisory Council members.

Izawa: (Still sparkling)

Ikegami: ( Once you're under that spell, it's hard to break free... Impressive, Kasamatsu-san!) So, how exactly do we experience that "excitement" at AdW Asia?

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: You need to purchase tickets on the official website, which is already open. Different tickets have different dates and access levels, so please choose the one that suits you best.

Izawa: Is there a youth discount?

Kasamatsu: For those 25 and under, showing ID gets you a ¥10,000 ticket covering all content over the 4 days. Students can get a ¥5,000 ticket focused specifically on seminars and workshops.

Izawa: That's quite reasonable! It seems like a great motivator for young people aiming for the advertising industry.

Kasamatsu: Regular tickets also have a 30% discount for purchases made by May 6th, so buying early is a great deal.

Izawa: I'm signing up right now!!

Ikegami: You're going for the early bird discount, not the youth discount, aren't you?

Izawa: Hey, mind your own business! Today really cleared up a lot of my confusion about AdWii. Thank you.

Kasamatsu, Executive Director: I'm glad to hear it. Actually, a major corporation has already been confirmed as a sponsor for AdWii Asia. Would you like me to introduce you to their key person? You might hear even more interesting stories.

Izawa: That would be wonderful, please do! Thank you so much today.

Next time, we'll interview the "key person from a major corporate sponsor" introduced by Executive Director Kasamatsu!