Bonus Content for 『SHARED VISION』 [5]What books have influenced me?
Hirota: What books have influenced you all so far? I'm curious, so I'd love for each of you to share one. For me, the thing that introduced me to advertising agencies was the 1994 special feature "What is Tokyo University?" in the magazine 'Advertising Critique'. It featured a dialogue between Kenji Ozawa and Masahiko Sato. When I happened to find this magazine at a used bookstore, it was the first time I'd ever heard of a company called "Dentsu Inc."—or rather, it was the first time I realized that "advertising agencies" even existed in the world. It was a shock. It was the moment a pure-hearted boy became a little more grown-up (laughs). I think our generation was the one most influenced by Masahiko Sato's ads as children. Of course, as a kid, I didn't know "Mr. Sato," but when I found out he made all the ads I loved, I was completely blown away.
Then there's Satonao (Naoyuki Sato)'s 'Tomorrow's Advertising' and Yuki Kishi's 'The Book for Designing Communication'. I joined the company in 2009, and these two books were published right before I joined. So, I'm part of the first generation who joined the company aspiring to the title of Communication Designer. Naturally, I was influenced too. All my peers were fired up, thinking, "Someday I'll be a Communication Designer too!" It just looked incredibly cool. Of course, after joining, I learned the hard way just how difficult it is and that it takes more than ordinary effort... I've had the chance to work with both of them since joining the company, and I continue to learn so much from them even now.
Yagi: For me, it was the magazine 'hinism'. I loved this magazine from the start, and when I looked into it, I discovered Takayuki Soda was the art director. I was blown away—what an amazing worldview! That's when I first learned the name of Soda-san, a giant in the advertising world. From there, I started looking at things like the ADC Annual and learned the names of various art directors. It feels like I entered the world of advertising through quite a side door (laughs).
Mr. Soda's designs are powerful and have this major-league feel, even though they don't use flashy colors or special typefaces. It's incredible. I hope to create designs like that someday myself.
Fujimoto: So everyone actually reads advertising books... I ended up at an ad agency by chance, and even though I'm a copywriter, I hardly read books, so I don't have much to recommend. It's embarrassing, but I probably read the most books around middle school. The book that influenced me back then was Ryoma Goes by Ryotaro Shiba. Sorry, it's unrelated to advertising. Here's Sakamoto Ryoma, accomplishing this monumental feat of changing the world, only to die at 33. Compare that to me, stuck in a dead-end job past 33, feeling utterly lost... "What the hell am I supposed to do?"
Still, whether influenced by books or not, I still hold this desire for the ads I create to also serve as "public service announcements" that benefit society. The motivation to write might stem from this hope – that my copy could spark a ripple effect in the world or change something, even just a little.
I figured I should mention some advertising books, or else this feels out of place. Takashi Nakahata's "Trying to Be Liked by Everyone, Ending Up Disliked by Everyone: Everything About Winning Advertising" and Shunichi Iwasaki's "Copy That Sees Happiness" come to mind. I've never taken any kind of copywriting course, so books like these were my only chance to learn from the thinking of copywriters I admire.
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Shusaku Hirota
Henge Inc.
Born in 1980. After working as a director at a broadcasting station, then in marketing, new business development, and brand consulting at Dentsu Inc., he became independent in August 2018. He founded Henge Inc., specializing in corporate brand development. He serves as the Japan Chief for Stylus Media Group, an innovation research firm based in London, UK, and TheCurrent, an acceleration firm based in New York, USA, which accelerates collaboration between large corporations and startups. Possessing a unique brand development methodology, he has supported numerous companies in formulating brand strategies and participated in many innovation projects. He also co-produces Another Real World, a tour project visiting innovative cities and companies, with Megumi Wakabayashi, former editor-in-chief of WIRED Japan. His publications include SHARED VISION (Sendenkaigi) and What Are the World's Marketers Thinking About Now? (Cross Media Publishing).
Aya Yagi
At Dentsu Inc., we handle corporate and product branding holistically, centered on design—from concept development and product creation to communication strategy. I left Dentsu Inc. at the end of October 2023.
Fujimoto Munemasa
Dentsu Inc.
Born in 1972. Joined Dentsu Inc. in 1997. Works as a copywriter developing advertising messages. Major awards include the TCC Best Newcomer Award, TCC Award, ADC Grand Prix, and ACC Grand Prix. Published paper: "The Conditions for Diffusing Creativity" (JAAA Selected Work).