Tokyo Metro × Suntory BOSS "Working is a good thing. THE LAST TRAIN"

Tokyo Metro and Suntory BOSS have collaborated on

What is this multi-layered campaign linking web and OOH?

Is this advertising? Or is it documentary?

This March, Tokyo Metro and Suntory's "BOSS" coffee, beloved as "the working person's partner coffee," collaborated on "Working is Great. THE LAST TRAIN." It was a surprise project to honor a station manager upon his retirement.

Preparations began six months prior. During planning discussions, station staff unanimously recommended Tokyo Metro Akihabara Station's Station Manager Ishiyama, declaring, "There's no one else but him."
After the plan was finalized, the team coordinated schedules to secretly film a video message. They also meticulously rehearsed using Tokyo Metro's station digital signage, which can display designated content at specified times.

On the day, late at night after the last train, everyone gathered at Akihabara Station and the retirement surprise was executed. Just before the surprise, colleagues hid in their designated spots.

Station Manager Ishiyama was transfixed by the messages suddenly appearing on the signage from his colleagues. When the colleagues behind the surprise emerged, loud applause echoed through the station after the last train. Presented with bouquets, the station manager smiled, tears welling in his eyes.
Station Manager Ishiyama, the recipient of the surprise, shared:
"Late at night, being congratulated by so many people and receiving so many unexpected bouquets and gifts, I was at a loss for what to do. I couldn't find words that felt adequate. I was overwhelmed. Thank you, thank you. This was the first surprise like this in my life. It was the best moment of my corporate career so far."

The entire scene was captured on camera and released on a special website starting March 27. A digest version of the web movie was also shown on digital signage inside stations like Ginza, Ueno, and Tameike-Sanno until April 2.
It wasn't just a documentary. But it certainly wasn't just an advertisement either.

Because it's real, people can't simply dismiss it as just an ad or just content; they find themselves drawn in. As both a campaign concept and media, its multi-layered structure creates an irresistible hook that demands attention, hinting at new possibilities.

Surprise Day. Scenes from the meticulous strategy meeting

Just before the surprise after the last train. Station staff colleagues hide.

The filming crew also held their breath in that tense moment

The stationmaster was transfixed by a message from a colleague who suddenly appeared on the screen.

When the pranksters revealed themselves, applause echoed through the station after the last train had departed.

Memories shared between the stationmaster and his colleagues blossomed, making the surprise a resounding success

The working professional's partner, Suntory Coffee "BOSS"

Dentsu Inc. 3CRP Bureau
Koji Kankaki

Happy Mischief

Advertising is packed with all kinds of people's "schemes." Whether you stumble upon one by chance or just brush against it, I want you to take home "surprise" and "realization" as souvenirs. That's why I want the "schemes" I'm involved in to be "happy 'pranks.'"

With this "THE LAST TRAIN" campaign, I truly believe we achieved a particularly "happy 'prank'". The initiative involved Tokyo Metro, which supports "work", and Suntory's BOSS joining forces to create a surprise for a Tokyo Metro station master retiring in spring, using station signage after the last train. Somewhere in my heart, I was thinking of my own father. My father, a former postal worker who retired early before the postal privatization, declared with strong conviction, "I'll be a public servant for life." I realized that "facing work" means "facing your own path in life." Yet, living in Tokyo, I couldn't be with him on his last day of work.

This project allowed me to witness a complete stranger's final day of work as a station manager, and I was incredibly nervous. Would this real-life surprise go smoothly? What if I ruined someone's precious moment? My heart was pounding. But after executing the surprise and seeing the station manager's smile, the tears running down his cheeks, and hearing the staff say "This is great!" through the monitor, I truly felt, "I'm so glad we did this!"

This was the best moment possible, made possible not only by Tokyo Metro and Suntory giving the green light to this project, but also by the staff who worked with us on this challenging endeavor. To borrow the station master's words: "It really is all about the team." These days, I find myself facing "work" with sincerity. I've decided to tackle what I can do now, one thing at a time, with all my strength. So that when my own "day of retirement" comes someday, I can truly think: "Working is a good thing."