Isn't advertising without words kind of boring? (Part 1)

Dentsu Inc. Design Talk hosted an event commemorating the Tokyo Copywriters Club (TCC)'s publication of the 'Copy Yearbook 2016'. Akihiro Fukube of catch is a copywriter behind hit campaigns like Otsuka Pharmaceutical's Calorie Mate "Show them your true strength." Koichi Kosugi from Hakuhodo is an art director known for buzzworthy campaigns like Shiseido featuring Lady Gaga, and he also handled the art direction for the 'Copy Yearbook 2016'. Representing Dentsu Inc. was Nagaaki Onoe, who gained attention for Nissin Foods' "10-Minute Donbei" and the "Kochikame 40th Anniversary & Ending Campaign", and who won last year's TCC Newcomer Award. Hosting the event was Shinichi Fukusato of One Sky, known for Suntory BOSS's "Alien Jones" series and serving as editor-in-chief of the annual. These four individuals from diverse professions discussed "the power of words."

Is context more important than words in copy?

Fukusato: Today's event commemorates the publication of TCC's 'Copy Annual'. We boldly titled it, "Isn't Advertising Without Words Kind of Boring?" Naturally, I expect some counterarguments, but personally, I find advertising completely devoid of words uninteresting—it just doesn't feel connected to my own life. Moreover, words are incredibly convenient. I believe that having words in advertising allows us to recall it later, talk about it with others, and make it a topic of conversation.

 

So, Mr. Fukube, first off, is there any advertising "word" that's stuck with you recently?

Fukube: The Kirin Hyoketsu poster featuring former SMAP member Nakai, "Let them talk." It was part of a series with multiple slogans like "Forward." and "Take care, self." But "Let them talk." was absolutely outstanding.

 

These days, no matter what you do, people around you have something to say, right? The refreshing boldness of just saying "Let them talk." It's only five characters, but I felt it was a phrase that saved the times. When the times are skewed, counterpunch-like copy like this really hits home.

 

I hear fewer young people are calling themselves copywriters these days. Even at Hakuhodo, the field of communication design seems to be drawing more interest. But, connecting back to this copy story, if the times are skewed, there should be a "sweet spot" on the opposite side. Now is precisely the time to start calling yourself a copywriter. And why not flaunt a "Copy Annual" on your desk, making it a billboard that says, "I am a copywriter" (laughs).

Fukusato: I heard that back in the day, when Hiroshi Sasaki from Singata had just transferred to Dentsu Inc. creative department and had no work at all, he apparently stuck one of his best copy pieces on his desk at the office, practically shouting, "Look at this!" It just so happened that Seio Oshima, who was a Creative Director (CD) at Dentsu Inc. at the time, happened to walk by. One day, he suddenly gave Sasaki work. It's something most ordinary Japanese people would find too embarrassing to do (lol), but maybe it's important to start by promoting what you want to do.

 

Fukube: But now that I'm a CD myself, I do feel that people who've only ever worked as copywriters tend to have "stiff thinking" – honestly, they can be tricky to work with. Koichiro Shima from Hakuhodo Kettle once said, "A good copywriter isn't someone who creates words, but someone who creates context." I think that's exactly right.

 

That's why I believe the ideal copywriter today is Dentsu Inc.'s Mr. Onoe. When invited to today's meeting, I immediately replied, "I definitely want to participate!"

 

Onoe: Ah, thank you... Actually, my mentor is Yuki Kishi, so I'm more on the communication design side. However, when I was assigned to work under Mr. Kishi, the first thing he told me was, "Copy is crucial in advertising, so go back through the copy yearbooks from the 1960s and transcribe the copy while comparing it to the events and historical context of that era."

 

I completely agree that context is crucial. When communicating about a product online, you have to engage with its followers continuously, so you must consider the product's character. You can't waver.

 

So I try to replace the product with a character from a school class. For example, Coca-Cola Boy is the "bright, popular kid in class," so I might set a competing product as the "cynical, popular rebel." Doing this makes everything the product says and does seem consistent and grounded.

Fukube: So by personifying the product, you're putting it into context.

 

Fukusato: Context over wording—is that more about using language the audience finds accessible, rather than relying on a copywriter's skill to craft elaborate sentences?

 

Fukube: I think so. For Otsuka Foods' "Vitamin Carbonated MATCH," which I handle, we considered how to compete against century-old giants like Coca-Cola and Mitsuya Cider. We decided to simply become the number one carbonated drink among high school students.

 

At first, I thought a copywriter's job was to "depict youth without saying 'youth'," so I stubbornly avoided the word. But then I realized that if you're depicting youth, saying "youth" actually speeds up communication. So I created a CM themed around a love triangle with the line "Nothing's as tough as youth." The copy that followed also included the word "youth" twice: "Not having youth is also youth."

 

Fukusato: "Not having youth is also youth." I think it fits the context perfectly, but it's also just a really well-crafted line, right? Do lines like this still rub you the wrong way, Mr. Onoe?

 

Onoe: Why are you making me sound like such a jerk? (laughs) I really love that copy. The words themselves feel like something everyone wants to say, right?

 

Fukusato: What I'd like to ask Mr. Fukube is about the Calorie Mate slogan changing from "Deliver the heat." to "Show them your true strength." What was the intention behind that? "Deliver the heat." is such a clever line. On the other hand, "Show them your true strength." feels like a pretty straightforward phrase.

 

Fukube: I believe "Deliver the energy!" was the perfect copy for Calorie Mate. However, I also felt it might be too focused on the product itself. That's why I thought shifting it slightly to the consumer's perspective might be better, leading to "Show them your true strength." Apparently, some long-distance runners even chant this phrase like a mantra in their minds while running.

 

Fukusato: True, you wouldn't say "Deliver the calories!" in your head. That's also about whether it's something everyone would want to say.

 

Fukube: Right, whether the ad's audience would actually "say it" or not is probably important. The background for this copy was the zero-calorie boom. Since Calorie Mate has "calorie" in its name, it couldn't ride that wave. I thought it would be better to compete by shifting to a different context.

 

How to Find Words That Spread

Fukusato: Lately, Hiroshi Sasaki from Singata keeps chanting like a mantra, "The most interesting person in digital right now is Onoe-kun." I suspect he's just parroting something he heard from someone like Yoshimitsu Sawamoto (laughs).

 

So, Onoe-san, how do you consciously approach "words" when handling campaigns?

 

Onoe: I've been in charge of the Donbei digital campaign for about a year and a half. After trying various approaches, I've come to think that digital advertising doesn't have to rely solely on cutting-edge technology. Sometimes, just incorporating elements that seem likely to generate buzz online can be effective.

 

Recently, the closing ad for the Donbareya Donbei shop on Shibuya Station platform—which we realized through our own proposal—went viral online even though it wasn't digital at all. I've always loved closing messages from small shops and collect photos of them. For example, a neighborhood shop that ran for 35 years closed with just a single A4 sheet posted. Packing 35 years of feelings into one A4 sheet—isn't the intensity of that A4 incredible?

 

Wanting to achieve the same for Donbareya, beloved for six years, I pondered what the "Donbareya Manager" might feel. The words that emerged were these:

 

"It was so easy—just add hot water... Thank you."

 

After placing the kettle and message paper inside the closed shop, someone took a photo and shared it. That sparked coverage across various media outlets. For the cost of a kettle—5,000 yen—we gained exposure worth about 50 million yen.

 

Fukusato: How do you find words that spread like that?

 

Onoe: I think it spreads more easily when we say things people want to say or might say, before they do. I realized this when planning the 10-Minute Donbei and Donbareya projects, and we put it into practice on the site we launched at the end of the "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo" (I'm a Cops!) campaign.

 

After scrolling through the entire timeline, the final message reads: "And now, an unprecedented 40th anniversary run. Onward to Volume 200. Thank you for your support." Then, we had Ryōsan appear saying, "Wait!!" and "It's not over yet!!" followed by, "It's only at times like this that people say things like 'I haven't read it lately, but I used to love it' or 'I wish it had continued longer'. It's nice, but..." This was exactly what I thought people would say. I'm a big Kochikame fan, you see (laugh).

 

And finally, I added the standard punchline where Chief Ohara yells, "Can't you be a little more solemn?!" What made me happy was the many positive tweets saying things like, "This is exactly the kind of Kochikame-style presentation we love. Great job!"

 

Predicting how the world will react and deciding what words to throw out. At that moment, making sure the character stays true to the context. Through campaigns like Donbei and Kochikame, I've felt the tangible results of how words naturally spread from there.

 

Fukube: The words really hit home, didn't they? Take the "Donbareya" copy—whether you add "Thank you" after "It was easy" completely changes the impression for the audience.

 

The words of gratitude make you think, "Hey, maybe the manager's not so bad after all." It's the same with Kochikame. Whether Ryōsan's line "I'm happy, but..." is there at the end or not completely changes how the audience feels.

 

Kosugi: I'm a Kochikame fan and have seen the entire website. I'm actually involved in the drama's art direction. As a fan, I was thrilled. I felt that Onoe-san isn't so much on the creator side as he is among the fans, and he's incredibly skilled at picking up words from that perspective.

Fukusato: Listening to Onoe-san, I get the sense you value context while also cherishing the words themselves. But seriously, is there a trick to figuring out how people in the world will think or receive something?

 

Onoe: It's simple, really—I search Twitter. It's a very straightforward method: I type the product name into the search bar at the top right and check how people feel about it, making sure there's no disconnect with my own thoughts.

 

It's almost like research. Formulate a hypothesis, implement it, observe the reactions, formulate another hypothesis, verify it... and refine the accuracy with each cycle.

 

※Continued in Part 2
You can also read the interview here on AdTae!
Planning & Production: Dentsu Live Inc. Creative Unit Creative Room 2, Aki Kanahara