The Newspaper Advertising Grand Prize went to former professional baseball player Hiroki Kuroda's "In the end, Arai was incredible."

On September 5, the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association announced the winners of the 39th Newspaper Advertising Awards. The Grand Prize was awarded to former professional baseball player Hiroki Kuroda's "Carp Player Arai Retirement Commemorative Project: 'In the End, Arai Was Amazing.'"

The Grand Prize was a personal advertisement placed in the local Chugoku Shimbun newspaper by Mr. Kuroda, who played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Major League Baseball, coinciding with the retirement of his former Carp teammate, Takahiro Arai. The front page featured past newspaper articles highlighting Arai's struggles and the team's poor performance. The back page, with the catchphrase "In the end, Arai was amazing," paid tribute to the player with humor. The ad drew crowds seeking copies not only in Hiroshima but also in Tokyo, becoming a nationwide sensation. The ad was highly praised for fully leveraging the unique characteristics of newspaper advertising, including creative use of the newspaper's sports news assets and its timely placement immediately after Arai's final game as an active player.

The Newspaper Advertising Award was established in 1981 to honor advertising activities that pioneer new possibilities for newspaper ads and contribute to the development of newspapers and advertising. It has two categories: Advertiser and Newspaper Publisher. It is awarded to advertisers and newspaper publishers who have carried out outstanding advertising activities in newspapers.

This year saw 341 entries: 276 in the Advertiser Category and 65 in the Newspaper Publisher Category (63 solo projects and 2 joint projects). One Grand Prize winner and five Newspaper Advertising Award winners were selected from each category. Additionally, 17 works from the Advertiser Category and 5 works from the Newspaper Publisher Category received Excellence Awards.

The awards ceremony will be held on October 24 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel in Minato Ward during the 62nd Newspaper Advertising Day commemorative ceremony.

The winning entries are as follows.

[Advertiser Category · Newspaper Advertising Grand Prize]
◇Carp Player Arai Retirement Commemorative Project "In the End, Arai Was Amazing"
　Mr. Hiroki Kuroda

[Advertiser Category · Newspaper Advertising Award] 5 works (listed in Japanese syllabary order by advertiser name)
◇The 200 Million Yen Incident. New Year's Work Style Reform Advertisement
　Kourakuen Holdings

◇Fragrance Harm 2-Point Series
　Shabondama Soap

◇We will temporarily publish our Wikipedia page as-is.
　Seven Two Seven

◇New Era Kincho (April 1)
　Dai-Nichi Co., Ltd. Pyrethrum

◇Pantene #HairWeGO Campaign
　Job Hunting ver.1 #1000 Job Hunters' Real Feelings
　Procter & Gamble Japan

[Newspaper Publisher Planning Department / Newspaper Advertising Award] 5 Works (in order of membership roster)
◇The Voice of the Sea Newspaper
　Tokyo Shimbun Advertising Media Services / Newspaper Division

◇Retirement GO!
　Kahoku Shimpo Sales Department

◇Fukushima Minpo: Sending Our Thoughts
　Fukushima Minpo, Tokyo Branch

◇"Family Stories 2018" Family Words Newspaper
　Shinano Mainichi Shimbun Co., Ltd. Advertising Department

◇Kumamoto Castle Reconstruction Support Campaign
　Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun, Business Promotion Bureau

[Newspaper Planning Department · Excellence Award] 17 Works (Advertisers Listed in Japanese Alphabetical Order)
◇Corporate Advertisement "Cooking is Brain Training."
　Ajinomoto

◇We're Starting Face Recruitment.
　Isehan

◇To My Juniors at Matsue Higashi High
　A.dot, Rumor

◇"This is a place that will never be completed."
　Oriental Land

◇It's a town of nothing, nothing
　Kishiro Town (Miyazaki Prefecture)

◇From Heisei to Reiwa
　Kino-ya Ishinomaki Fisheries

◇Veteran Copywriter Recruitment Ad
　CyberAgent

◇We're also representatives of our hometown. (High School Baseball)
　National Agricultural Cooperative Federation

◇Corporate Ad "Goodbye, Earth. / From here on out, you're on your own."
　Takarajimasha

◇Let's talk about "now" in Reiwa too.
　Twitter Japan

◇2019 New Year Corporate Advertisement
　Toyama Daihatsu Sales

◇Naomi Osaka Champion Advertisement Series
　Nissin Foods

◇100-Year Family Newspaper
　Panasonic

◇Young Northern Japan
　Faren Toyama

◇Me and Honda "Letter to Newspaper Delivery Personnel"
　Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

◇Details on the web. Yahoo! New Era Extra Edition Check
　Yahoo

◇Yokohama DeNA BayStars 70th Anniversary
　Yokohama DeNA BayStars

[Advertiser Category - Excellence Award] 5 Works (in membership directory order)
◇Tooku Nippo 130th Anniversary Commemoration - Aim for Health & Longevity! "Overcoming Our Short Life Expectancy!"
　Tooku Nippo Co., Ltd. Advertising Bureau

◇"Undeterred by Rain" Woven by 298 Iwate Residents
　Iwate Nippo Co., Ltd. Advertising Business Bureau

◇Nighttime Evacuation Drill
　Fukushima Nippo Co., Ltd. Tokyo Branch

◇Future Toyama Campaign: THE MESSAGE #WhatWeWantToShareNow. For the Future.
　Hokuriku Shimbun Co., Ltd. Sales Division

◇Kyoto Shimbun 140th Anniversary Commemoration "Forgotten Wisdom of the Japanese: Wisdom Conference" ~Messages for the Next Generation~
　Kyoto Shimbun Co., Ltd. Kyoto Shimbun COM Media Services / Newspaper Division