Copywriter Chika Watanabe: "The feeling of cherishing something is the source of ideas."

　An interview series featuring Dentsu Inc. creators who transcend conventional advertising boundaries.

For the second installment, we spoke with Chika Watanabe (Creative Planning Division 2), who transcends the role of copywriter and continues to generate fresh ideas daily.

The very feeling of cherishing something is the driving force.

──Could you tell us about the work you're primarily engaged in now?

Lately, I've been involved in several projects not just for copywriting, but from the brainstorming stage where we consider the overall direction of the project.

I see my role as proposing how to shine a light on products and services. For example, when a product is being positioned in a certain direction, I think it's the copywriter's job to explore whether a different approach might generate more buzz in the market. This involves considering competitors and the current climate to find alternative angles for launching the product.

In my case, I base my strategies and direction on intuition, experience, and what I genuinely enjoy. Even within a team, carrying multiple projects through to completion is demanding work, so I simply couldn't push through if I didn't enjoy it.

But of course, simply saying "I like it!" isn't enough to convince others. When I feel strongly about a direction based on intuition and am confident it will succeed, I present objective examples for comparison and seek understanding from all stakeholders.

──What are the things you like, Watanabe-san?

I guess the point that makes me like something is "tenderness." Lately, I find anglers tender. For work, I had the chance to interview people involved in fishing, and I wondered what drives them to pursue fish so intensely... Seeing people who aren't even fishermen, yet stake their lives on fishing, makes my heart ache.

Maybe I find people who are passionate about something endearing.

It's not just people—every product or service has a point that makes you feel affection for it. In work, if you can use that endearing point as your angle, your job becomes much more enjoyable, right?

──One project Mr. Watanabe handled from the planning stage, not just the copywriting, is the "Mimic Ice" product that looks like nothing more than a cooling pack at first glance. It was unique and very well-received. Did that idea also come from something you found endearing?

Actually, I've been fascinated by "mimicry" since I was a child. I found insects that evolved to blend into their surroundings for survival utterly endearing.

Perhaps because of that, when I was involved in a project to "launch an interesting ice cream unlike anything before," I suddenly thought, "It would be fun if ice cream could mimic its surroundings in the freezer."

It also connected to my own experience as the youngest of three sisters, always having my ice cream eaten by my older sisters. While the idea of ice cream camouflaging itself is outlandish, I thought, "This could work!" because the story of "ice cream not wanting to be eaten" creates a relatable emotional connection.

 

Not just liking it, but the ability to see things objectively

──Another work I was deeply moved by was the Nagasaki Bus advertisement you handled while at Dentsu Kyushu Inc. The way light was applied to the characters was truly impressive. How did this piece come to be?

 

Back then, the key was "scenario hunting," or "Sina-han" for short. It involves visiting the locations that will become the setting and interviewing relevant people before writing the commercial script. I never even considered doing Sina-han during my time in Tokyo, but since I had no connection or familiarity with Kyushu and no sense of the local context, I thought, "I don't understand the local context!" That's how I developed this Sina-han habit.

First, I created a tentative copy: "Supporting the nameless days." I hypothesized that the value of Nagasaki Bus might lie in "the buses and drivers supporting the unremarkable daily lives of Nagasaki citizens." I wondered if that approach to highlighting their value might be effective. To verify this hypothesis, I actually rode Nagasaki Bus, talked to drivers, and repeatedly selected the most compelling episodes from those interactions to refine the narrative's depth. This work was born from that process.

It took more time than just thinking at my desk and was incredibly demanding, but I gained various materials—including words I would never have thought of myself.

──So Shinahan held significant meaning within your experiences, Mr. Watanabe. By the way, do you consider yourself to have any distinctive "skills"?

Perhaps it's the skill of shining a light on the "unseen value" within products and services.

I've always had a bit of a contrarian streak and a habit of looking at things from an oblique angle. This helps me find angles like, "Actually, isn't this the most appealing aspect of this product?"

Product and service managers, precisely because they love their products, might only see one aspect. So I step back, consider past experiences, societal trends, and the product's overall picture, and offer opinions from a different angle.

On the other hand, copywriters are definitely not artists. Advertising is an incredibly complex field that involves the world, the product, and the client, so you can't just proceed based on what you personally like. But the real thrill of being a copywriter is being able to propose the best way to shine a light on something, after considering all these many elements.

──What's truly impressive about you, Watanabe-san, is that you find this task of balancing complex elements—something most would find daunting—interesting. Are there other things you value in your work?

I value constantly questioning my own work until the very end. For the camouflage ice pack, I designed it to look like a cooling pack, but I kept wondering: Is this truly camouflage?

It might have been unnecessary work, but if it hadn't been camouflage, it could have caused a lot of trouble for many people, so I kept questioning myself until the very end.

At that point, I ended up going to consult with an expert authority on mimicry. I quickly showed them the ice pack design concept. Then, instantly, they said, "This is Batesian mimicry" (laughs), and I could proceed with peace of mind.

──What kind of work would you like to take on from here, Mr. Watanabe?

Japan has so many incredibly interesting things. I also think the earnestness of Japanese companies is truly wonderful. I'd be happy if I could convey more of these wonderful aspects of Japan and the Japanese people to the world!

-----------------

Watanabe's work offers surprising and moving insights by viewing everyday occurrences from a slightly different perspective.

I felt these works were born from Watanabe's kindness and compassion—a desire to find something lovable in everything and share it with the world.

Thank you.