Making "Warmth" More Exciting

Introducing "Ideas to Make ○○ More Interesting" from a young art director at Dentsu Inc. This time, Takamasa Sanjo presents "Making Warmth More Interesting."

Disposable Hand Warmers That Warm the Heart Too

──Why did you choose the theme "Making Warmth More Interesting"?

Sanjo: I absolutely hate the cold. That's why I'm a heavy user of disposable hand warmers. It suddenly struck me that disposable hand warmers are white, like a canvas, and leaving them plain white felt like such a waste. I thought, "Couldn't we turn this into an opportunity?"

You know how you often hold a disposable hand warmer while waiting for the train? I thought, if there was something to read here, the waiting time would be both warm and enjoyable. So I tried printing short stories on disposable hand warmers. I love short shorts, and actually, the ones printed are short stories I wrote myself.

The humor that connects to commercials

──Tell us what you're interested in right now.

Sanjo: I absolutely love comedy. I enjoy young comedians and I'm a huge fan of rakugo too. What I love about comedy is the character development, the story, and the punchline. I really admire comedy that executes these elements well; it's truly impressive.

I think comedy and commercials are similar. They subvert the viewer's expectations in a good way, leading to an unexpected ending. The intricate details, well-crafted stories, and the "way they subvert expectations" in good comedy are really educational. This kind of humor is something that also applies to short-short stories.