Selected as one of the world's top 30. An art director who discovers the true form things should take.

YOUNG GUNS, an international award hosted by The One Club in New York, targets young creators active as professionals. In 2018, 82 finalists were selected from hundreds of entries spanning approximately 40 countries, with 30 of them receiving the "YOUNG GUNS 16" award. From Dentsu Inc., Satoshi Kono (Art Director, Creative Planning Division 3) was honored with the award.

YOUNG GUNS judges each creator based on a portfolio of six works they have contributed to. It is a format that honors the individual creator themselves. Kono was recognized for works such as "History of the Internet," a Yahoo! Japan project that generated significant buzz, and "72 POSTERS for school teams participating in the high school sumo tournament" for Hokkoku Shimbun. He was the only Japanese creator selected this year.

We delve into the stories behind these works with Mr. Kono while exploring the creator he aspires to be.

Satoshi Kono (Dentsu Inc., Creative Planning Division 3)

"History of the Internet": Visualizing an Overwhelming Accumulation of Information

──Please tell us about "History of the Internet," the work that led to this award.

This project, created for Yahoo's 20th anniversary in April 2016, compiles the history of the internet into a single scroll.

"History of the Internet" 2016 Edition

 

Initially, we received a client request to create a timeline of the Internet. After discussions with clients and internal team members, we settled on the idea of creating an objective timeline summarizing the history of the Internet in Japan—using an ultra-analog, ancient picture scroll, the polar opposite of digital.

The project started about nine months before publication, yet it was such a data-heavy piece that we still ran short on time. First, we picked out various events to summarize the history of the Internet. We categorized them, prioritized their importance, and created a base infographic (a visual summary of information and data). We ended up with about 1,300 events (laughs).

We then began drawing based on that infographic. Our key challenge was how to visually represent the intangible concept of "the history of the internet." Neither the internet nor history is physically visible, yet they are formed by an immense accumulation of information and time. We aimed to convey this instantly while also conveying the sheer magnitude of history. To achieve this, we first organized the structure to ensure it functioned as a coherent design, then meticulously drew each individual event. I believe we successfully conveyed the overwhelming volume of information inherent in the internet's 20-year history in a powerful way.

Simultaneously, since this picture scroll was intended to be displayed as a mural over 18 meters long, we had the illustrator render every detail with high precision to ensure the artwork's quality held up even when viewed up close. It was truly a race against time (laughs).

Each event in the scroll is depicted using various motifs. We also linked the scale of the internet's history to the scale of world history. For example, events from 2005 correspond to Japan's Meiji era when viewed within the broader world timeline.

For instance, the period when the internet emerged is depicted with a Genesis-like landscape, while the rise of social games coincided with Japan's Sengoku period, so we illustrated the opposing structures of samurai clashes. I believe it's a work that offers enjoyment even when viewed piece by piece.

This project won the NYADC Gold Cube award and was well-received by the client, leading to its annual continuation. In 2018, I was involved in this project once again.

"Reinterpreting traditional sumo through contemporary expression"

──Please also tell us about the "72 POSTERS for school teams participating in the high school sumo tournament" for the Kanazawa High School Sumo Tournament, which was recognized in YOUNG GUNS 16. This work also won awards in two categories at the 2019 ADFEST, correct?

This is advertising for the annual national high school sumo tournament held in Kanazawa. We've been creating the tournament ads since the 100th anniversary in 2016. This one is from 2018.

The 102nd High School Sumo Tournament in Kanazawa "72 POSTERS for school teams participating in the high school sumo tournament"

The brief called for tournament advertising, but the number of high school students actually belonging to sumo clubs is quite low. So we took a step back: rather than just promoting the tournament, shouldn't we first energize sumo clubs nationwide? We believed this would invigorate high school sumo and ultimately the tournament itself. Therefore, we created posters for all 72 participating schools' sumo clubs and displayed them at the tournament venue. After the tournament, we gave each participating school their poster to use for recruiting new members.

Our key focus was reimagining sumo as a sport through a contemporary visual lens. While sumo is Japan's national sport, it was also a beloved, aspirational sport that everyone was passionate about during the Edo period. However, as times changed, its visual image remained outdated. Our goal was to express sumo's dynamism from a modern perspective, restoring its position as a sport that inspires the public.

I believed the essence of sumo is, above all, a clash of power. I translated this into a clash of colors, combining complementary hues to create a high-contrast, powerful visual. I also experimented with angles. Watching TV broadcasts, I felt sumo was limited to a few standard angles, so I shot from unprecedented perspectives, like a view from the feet during a throw.

While the spectacle of sumo itself hasn't changed much over time, this was an attempt to draw out sumo's potential by capturing it from a contemporary perspective.

As an art director, I first want to master "one thing."

──What do you value most as a creator?

It's "thinking about what should be." Depending on the era or circumstances, things can change or drift away from what they should be, right? For example, sumo was once everyone's dream sport, the star attraction. But if the way it's communicated doesn't evolve with the times, it drifts away from its true form. The history of the internet is similar; even if it's invisible, it inherently possesses an immense accumulation of data. What is the "true form" of such things, and how should it be expressed? That's what I focus on first. I believe that if you can find the "true form," you can reintroduce the value of that thing to the world.

I still have so much to learn. I believe this award recognizes a series of projects made possible by my current environment and the support of many people, including creative directors and copywriters. I could never have won this award solely through my own efforts. So, for now, I just want to hone my skills as an art director and graphic designer.

Specifically, I want to focus as much as possible on graphic design right now. The field of advertising has become incredibly diverse, but I'm not the most versatile person. If I tried to dabble in too many areas, I'd probably end up being mediocre at everything. So, I want to specialize in graphics first. If I can become competent in that field, I think I can then contribute to other areas and support the people around me. I'd be happy if someone thinking, "I want to make this project look really cool," immediately thought of me.

I entered this field because I love cool things and wanted to create them myself. While daily ad production is important, I also want to create more designs that express culture. In doing so, I want to consider what things should truly be and pursue pure beauty and coolness. Keeping that in mind, I aim to master design that stirs people's sensibilities.

At the Young Guns Awards Ceremony