Takashi Yamamoto × Mitsushi Abe "Living by Your Full Name" (Part 1)

Dentsu Design Talk vol.80

(Article Editing: Sugatsuke Office Composition Cooperation: Eiji Kobayashi Planning & Production: Dentsu Inc. Human Resources Bureau, Aki Kanahara)

　

Dentsu Design Talk vol.80 (held April 10, 2012) featured a talk session titled "Living by Your Full Name" with Mr. Takashi Yamamoto (Kotoba Inc.), an active creative director and copywriter, and Mr. Koji Abe, Creative Director at Dentsu Inc.'s Creative Planning Division 4.

The talk session proceeded by having Mr. Yamamoto explain commercials he had written copy for over his 20-year career, including his time at Dentsu Inc. before becoming independent, while actually viewing them, to unravel how he typically thinks and works. The commercials had been pre-classified into six groups by Mr. Abe, and Mr. Yamamoto responded while pointing out the characteristics of each group.

The first group Abe highlighted was "Words That Make You Want to Read." Noting the frequent use of subtitles in Yamamoto's commercials, he pointed out their defining characteristic: "They are never a chore to read; every element, including timing, is perfectly executed without any wasted words. They truly come alive as words that compel you to read." It became clear that many of these subtitles served not just as copy but also functioned as part of the direction. Regarding his creative approach to advertising, Yamamoto first explained that his fundamental method is "custom-made work that prioritizes conveying the meaning of what the client says, rather than starting with what I want to do." While he carefully proceeds by understanding the client's intent, he noted that misunderstandings often arise due to words. To avoid this as much as possible, He avoids this by clearly sharing what he wants to say using precise words or copy right from the start, rather than relying on vague notions like "kind of interesting" or "kind of cool." Yamamoto calls this "grasping with words." He also states that "I absolutely hate anything troublesome," which is why he often handles the directing himself. This allows him to achieve things like the perfect placement of a supermarket sign, which he edits himself. He describes this skill, honed over years of work, as "almost a traditional craft."

The next group, "Words That Speak," features characters or narrators in commercials urging viewers with phrases like "Let's become this" or "Let's change." Toyota's "Change is exciting" is a prime example. For this to work, "the words need persuasive power that makes viewers nod in agreement – a skill copywriters must possess," says Abe. Yamamoto states, "If you're going to engage in the work of 'grasping with words,' you must possess words the client cannot express themselves. This isn't ghostwriting; it's the work of 'representative expression,' a skill that includes digesting what the other person is thinking and solidifying it." "We must always persuade those who think anyone can use words. This requires not just skill but conviction. Once you choose to use words, you must smoothly convey that conviction to clients and to the world," he stated.

The third group, 〈Monologue Words〉, consists of words spoken not to others, but to oneself, like a soliloquy. Abe pointed out, "It's a highly advanced technique that communication can still be established even when the characters are just talking about themselves." Yamamoto explained, "Typically, a director calculates cuts and builds them up to create, say, a 15-second spot. But I build the timing using the speed of speech—the copy itself." He stated that this type clearly exemplifies that approach. In this way, through Abe's precise analysis and questions, Yamamoto's creative secrets were successively revealed.

(Continued in Part 2 )

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