"Old Guys Fest 2016!" The old embodies the new. Old guys are the evolved form of youth. (Part 1)

This Dentsu Inc. Design Talk was conceived from the passionate desire of volunteers who read Yamamoto Takashi's latest book, 'Don't Underestimate Advertising.' While the advertising world constantly demands "new, young talent," the advertising business has become increasingly complex, requiring a mature perspective as consultants and partners. In this context, how should one shape their own approach to finding work and competing? This is the first part of a roundtable discussion featuring Yamamoto-san, who mutters, "It's nonsense to just 'go along with' the older generation...", Hideki Hidaka of Gritz Design, a fellow member of the older generation and drinking buddy, and Kunihiko Mishima of Dentsu Inc., the young representative nominated by Yamamoto-san.

What are the "good things" about becoming an old man?

Yamamoto: Today's discussion is titled "Old Guys Festival." I believe the "old guy" persona has both "bad aspects" and "not-so-bad aspects." It's not exactly cool to talk about yourself while saying things like "The old days were better" or "These days, young people..."

On the other hand, I'm convinced that the older I get, the better my work becomes. Today, I want to explore that positive "middle-aged man theory."
Hidaka-kun, you're an old man too. What's been good about getting older?

Hidaka: I really hate calling myself an old man, but I've actually reached the age where people call me one.

Running a company means I have to face the realities standing in my way and various industry challenges head-on. In those moments, I think the good thing about getting older is that I've become able to calmly assess the work I've done and my position, and have a dialogue with myself.

Yamamoto: Conversely, what's been bad about becoming an old man?

Hidaka: Getting winded when climbing stairs (laughs).
In terms of work, it's becoming older than the department heads and section chiefs at client companies. It's naturally harder to ask someone older to do work for you, and I'm starting to feel realistically that I might get fewer requests going forward.

Yamamoto: I've thought the same thing as you, Hidaka. I left Dentsu Inc. exactly ten years ago in 2006. When I was employed, I was comfortably sandwiched between superiors and subordinates, so I rarely thought about my own position.

But going solo, with no one above or below to anchor me, I started questioning my place. When a client's PR director turned out to be younger than me, I felt awkward working with them and thought, "Ah, I really am an old man now."

Recently, though, I started teaching at Kansai University and received the title "Professor." The convenient thing about being a professor is that age doesn't really matter.

Hidaka: So you also have the title of professor, Mr. Yamamoto.

Yamamoto: Teaching at the university has made me think about "experience points" too. Experience points are the "experiences of thinking" stored in your brain. I believe the key to becoming a "good old man" lies in whether you can clearly recognize and utilize those experience points.
Mishima-kun, what are your thoughts on growing older?

Mishima: I just heard this recently, but apparently, the more simulations artificial intelligence runs, the more accurate it becomes. I'm sure it's the same for humans; how much we think and reflect directly impacts the precision of our work.

When I'm struggling, an older colleague will sometimes instantly point me toward the right path, saying, "It's like this." That speed comes solely from experience.

Yamamoto: Dentsu Inc. has plenty of old guys. What do you think?

Mishima: It's tricky to choose the right words, but there are "respectable old guys" and "unrespectable old guys" (laughs).

The respectable old-timers are "company treasures." That said, I actually quite enjoy listening to the stories of the less respectable ones too. Many of those less respectable old-timers were once incredibly hard workers, and they have tons of wild, off-the-wall stories. Getting excited listening to those experiences is one of the joys of having older people in the company.

Everyone grew through failure.

Yamamoto: What were you thinking about when you were young, Hidaka-kun?

Hidaka: When I moved to Tokyo in 1985, the advertising world was dominated by the so-called "artists" like Makoto Saito, Tsuguya Inoue, and Masatoshi Toda. My first job was at a design firm specializing in magazines, and I'd always wanted to work in advertising design. While searching for the best company at the time, I found Nakahata Advertising Studio and wrote a letter to Takashi Nakahata.

I made sure he'd definitely read it: I wrote the text by hand on drawing paper, folded it to A4 size, and sent it. Then Mr. Nakahata agreed to meet me. I was completely convinced I'd get into Nakahata Advertising Production, so I handed in my resignation at the company I was working for. I was just a young punk, but I had this unfounded confidence (laughs). I gave it my all in the interview presentation, but I was flatly rejected and didn't get hired. It was exactly 25 years ago, on Christmas.

After that, I returned to my hometown of Miyazaki for the year-end holidays and stayed for about a month. Then, I made up my mind, searched the job listings in 'Commercial Photo', and found the Miyata Satoru Design Office (now Draft). The deadline for their assignment—"Write five pages of manuscript paper on the theme of advertising"—was the very next day. So, I wrote the assignment on the Shinkansen and took it straight to their Tokyo office.

By chance, I rode the elevator with Mr. Miyata, handed him my resume and assignment, and after about four interviews, I was hired. Luck played a part, but it was also fueled by youthful recklessness, passion, and ambition – that desire to "take the next step."

Yamamoto: Was it tough when you first joined Draft?

Hidaka: Yeah, I thought I'd get to work with Mr. Miyata right away once I joined Draft, but it didn't happen quickly, which was frustrating. I was just a 27-year-old kid back then. Looking back now, it was necessary groundwork.

When my wish finally came true and I got the chance to work with Mr. Miyata, he was so strict he tore up every design I proposed. That was really tough (laughs).

Yamamoto: I joined Dentsu Inc. in 1985 too. I was assigned to the Second Creative Bureau and worked under Mr. Oshima, who was in his late 30s at the time.

At one point, I was told it was time to start working independently and was assigned to write copy for a meat sauce. It was a relatively simple job: selling sauce to the target audience of full-time housewives. But no matter how much I thought about it, no ideas came to me. Ultimately, I realized I didn't understand anything about what made housewives happy, how they felt about their families, or how they thought about cooking meals.

I realized you can't think about things you don't know, and since then, I made it a point to gain as many different experiences as possible.
Mishima-kun, how do you feel about yourself when you first joined the company?

Mishima: I'm in my ninth year at the company. I started in sales my first year, then moved to creative in my second. A few months after transferring, Takashi invited me out for drinks, and I asked him, "How can I get better at copywriting?"

He told me, "Don't ask questions like that. You try to take the shortest path too much. Make sure you take the longest detour possible." That really hit me. It was natural for me, knowing nothing, to struggle. I realized that struggling itself was a good thing.

Yamamoto: Did I really say that? I guess I get into preachy mode when I drink (laughs).

 

※Continued in Part 2

You can also read the interview here on AdTie!
Planning & Production: Dentsu Live Inc. Creative Unit 2nd Creative Room, Aki Kanahara