Hakuhodo's Mr. Kanda overcame challenges by thinking things through to the end. ~ 2019 "Creator of the Year" W Award Commemorative Dialogue

The 2019 Creators of the Year (sponsored by the Japan Advertising Association), announced in April, saw the first-ever selection of two recipients: Yusuke Kanda of Hakuhodo and Kazunori Kawakoshi of Dentsu Inc. To commemorate this, an interview was conducted as a joint project between Hakuhodo's web magazine "The Central Dot" and "Web Dentsu Tsūhō".

Mr. Kanda, who has focused on CM planning, and Mr. Kawakoshi, whose foundation is art direction. The interview, conducted simultaneously with both remotely, included questions about each other's differing backgrounds. Unintentionally, it also captured their views on how they intend to meet corporate expectations moving forward and how they perceive consumers' sensibilities, especially now as we enter a period of mid-to-long-term shifts in society's overall values.

This article focuses primarily on Mr. Kanda's interview while showcasing their exchange. We also encourage you to read Mr. Kawakoshi's interview published on "The Central Dot".

Mr. Kanda (top left, among 4 photos) and Mr. Kawakoshi (bottom left, among 4 photos) during the remote interview

The "10-Second Continuous Drama 'Love's Stop Line'" That Realized the Proposal 100%

──Congratulations on your award. What does this win mean to you personally? Please share your current feelings.

Kanda: Honestly, I never imagined I'd be one of them. All the past winners are people I've always admired and looked up to. It was an award I always wanted to win, but also thought was a bit out of my league.

Today, many creative styles exist, but I decided to focus on honing my specialized skill as a CM planner and refined my video planning techniques. The path to mastering a specialized skill involves loneliness and many hardships, but this award came after I persevered without wavering in my conviction, no matter the circumstances. That's why I'm truly delighted. I'd be even happier if it encourages young people who are similarly struggling to develop their specialized skills.

──The award citation praised your approach to creating fresh, high-quality content, citing the development of the "Tacty jms 10-Second Drama Series" and your planning supervision for the TV drama "What Did You Eat Yesterday?". Looking back at your own work, was the 10-second web drama series the turning point?

Tacty's car accessories brand "jms" 10-second continuous drama "Love's Stop Line" (Click the image to watch the video on the official YouTube channel)

Kanda: Yes, that's right. The jms (James) web drama was the first project since I joined the company where I could realize almost 100% of what I wanted to do. In advertising, various circumstances and practical problems inevitably arise before realization, requiring constant adaptation. While constraints can sometimes work positively, creators don't always achieve what they believe is right or what they want to pursue. This project felt like 100% realization. It was deeply moving to see it enjoyed by so many people, gaining a strong core fanbase on social media, and receiving recognition at advertising awards both domestically and internationally.

We proposed a bit of a challenge: a 10-second timeframe and an adult romance drama centered around cars. But the client had such a deep understanding of creativity. After producing episodes 1 through 7 as the first installment, sequels were greenlit one after another, and now 28 episodes have been released.

From the "Love's Stop Line" official website. Each episode packs emotional peaks and narrative progression into a mere 10 seconds, placing the featured product at the punchline.

──These are truly addictive; they have this power that makes you want to watch them all. What was the original challenge that led to the 10-second format?

Kanda: James has been our client for about three years now. The initial consultation focused on building brand awareness for James using the web. As we discussed, we realized it wasn't just about increasing awareness; we wanted to make sure the impression left was one that truly captured the essence of James – a brand with an incredibly extensive product lineup and numerous maintenance menus.

That said, a single long video showcasing various products wouldn't feel fresh as web content. We thought short videos rapidly showcasing products would be more effective today. The design: short clips that hook you after one, making you crave more. We aimed for that "binge-watch" feeling—like subscribing to streaming services and staying up all night watching one drama after another. Could we recreate that mood in advertising?

What exactly is a professional?

──So that line of thinking led you to the idea of a 10-second drama series.

Kanda: Exactly. In the world of video, I feel the line between professional and amateur is rapidly disappearing. Sometimes, videos posted by ordinary people are far more interesting than those made specifically for advertising.

──That's true.

Kanda: In this world where everyone is constantly shooting and uploading videos, I suddenly wondered: What exactly defines a professional? At that moment, I thought that if we could create web videos that only advertising professionals could produce, they might stand out as fresh content and grab attention instead of getting buried. So, I considered what I could create as a professional CM planner... and arrived at the idea of a 10-second serial drama. It's the minimum duration needed to properly depict emotional fluctuations and a story, while still firmly anchoring each episode to the product.

Unlike TV commercials, web videos display the remaining seconds at the bottom of the frame, right? So even people not in advertising can see, "It really is 10 seconds," and I thought the impact of packing so much into those 10 seconds would come across. I believe this perfectly matches the unique characteristics of web video, allowing viewers to experience professional-level craftsmanship.

──Any other projects that left a strong impression?

Kanda: This was early in my career. For about eight years at Hakuhodo Creative Vox, I worked on Fanta ads under Yasuaki Iwamoto and Mitsuaki Imura. My very first project after joining the company was the planning meeting for Fanta's "Teacher Series." Every time a new concept was pitched, everyone would double over laughing the whole time.

That was the only meeting like that, before or since, but it really drove home the harsh reality of making a living as a professional: "This is the level of consistently high-caliber humor professionals must deliver," and "I won't make it as a CM planner unless I put in serious effort." That experience is still incredibly valuable to me today.

Watching Mr. Imura's back taught me the importance of thinking relentlessly, of thinking things through to the end, whether you succeed or fail. Even when faced with various constraints in the creative process, Mr. Imura never compromised. That's why I, too, have come this far without ever giving up on thinking things through to the end, even when unsure if the client would accept it.

Words and lines can become clues in unexpected moments

Kawakoshi: Can I ask you something? I really love James's work, and I feel this envy bordering on jealousy, wishing I could create something like that myself. Being able to create laughter is truly the ultimate skill. Even without using famous celebrities, he generates laughter that works non-verbally through sheer ideas and technique, drawing you in deeper and deeper. As you keep watching, each piece maintains its quality while building into a massive wave, creating this expansive feel. That kind of design is truly amazing.

What I'd like to ask is, alongside that kind of output, what kind of input do you engage in? What kind of things do you keep your antennae tuned to daily?

Kanda: Honestly, I don't really consciously think I have to absorb all kinds of input. I've just always loved TV.

Kawakoshi: Oh, me too (laughs).

Kanda: Really? (laughs) During lockdown, or even on regular days off, I have the TV on constantly at home. It's less about watching specific shows and more about having it on in the background. I feel like the words and dialogue I hear just accumulate inside me. When I'm planning projects, they sometimes pop into my head and become hints for character dialogue.

But honestly, I feel a bit self-conscious about that. You mentioned that your planning process starts with the image of the final output ( from the Kawakoshi interview ), but I can't start from "pictures." It begins with the feel of words or dialogue, or maybe the sound itself.

Kawakoshi: From sound? I see.

Kanda: Starting from the strategy or challenge at hand, I build things up logically to narrow down what kind of setting or story would work best. Then, when thinking about what kind of expression would match that or how to convey it clearly, I start by building the backbone using the flow and sound of the dialogue. That's the circuitry.

The planning approach varies case by case, but it's like organizing and bonding information from two directions: angles around the product itself, and my own interests completely unrelated to the product, or things everyone might find interesting right now. Sometimes these two don't connect at all, and I often think, "I have no talent."

What value should we portray to connect with today's world?

──Now, tell me a bit about the near future. Over the past six months, we've experienced unprecedented circumstances. Companies are being forced to reevaluate investments, including advertising budgets, and I believe advertising will change as consumer values shift. How do you perceive these changes now?

Kanda: Short-term, I expect more companies will aim to gain pinpoint awareness digitally without large budgets. Also, regardless of how budgets or channels change, I feel the very workflow of "receiving briefs and making presentations" itself will likely shift. Within this new lifestyle, where living patterns, values, and perceptions are drastically changing, previous product values may resonate less, making briefs incredibly difficult to formulate.

For example, if remote work and online meetings become the norm, the line between work and personal time will blur. In that new lifestyle, promotional messaging for canned coffee or energy drinks probably won't resonate anymore.

──So the very act of switching gears, like "Let's get pumped up now!" will disappear?

Kanda: Exactly. So I think we'll need to rethink which product values can truly connect with today's radically changed world—not just clients and marketers, but creators too.

The state of emergency has ended, but the mood of unease remains strong, right? For a while, connecting a product's value to society through emotion rather than logic might be the way to truly connect with consumers' feelings. Traditional ways of strategizing will probably become less effective.

Creative thinking will likely change too. As a CM planner, looking at it from a video perspective, the way we control output quality has already shifted. If traditional mass advertising was like formal, on-duty expression, then in this situation where TV shows and commercials must be made remotely, more natural, unadorned, off-duty expressions are becoming easier to integrate. Of course, high-quality ads will remain, but the range of output quality is expanding.

Going forward, I believe the thought process will shift. Rather than simply pursuing quality within a budget, planning will increasingly include defining "what level of output quality should be set for the task at hand" as part of the planning itself.

──Thank you. Finally, could you share a message for those aspiring to work in advertising or creative fields?

Kanda: As the advertising industry and the way advertising work is done are changing, compounded by these challenging times, I believe the transformation in thinking and working styles will accelerate. Advertising agencies aren't just about ads; they handle all aspects of communication. So, you can gain incredibly rich experience while learning from top-tier professionals across various fields.

Therefore, I believe entering the advertising industry now is nothing but advantageous. Whether you dedicate your life to immersing yourself fully in the world of communication, or use the advertising industry as a stepping stone to move into other industries or start your own business, I firmly believe it will be a definite plus when considering your life over the long term.

■Q&A: Exploring Creators' Perspectives■
Since this is a special joint project between our two companies, we ended with a Q&A to ask about each other's perceptions of the other company and more. Some unexpected common ground emerged!

【Kanda Edition】
Q1. If you were an employee of Dentsu Inc., what kind of work would you like to do?
A1. I think I'd still be a CM planner, but I'd like to be involved in the creative process a bit more from the media side than I am now.

Q2. Why didn't you join Dentsu Inc.?
A2. I didn't get in (laughs).

Q3. Is there anyone at Dentsu Inc . you admire?
A3. There are many people I admire, but if I had to name one, it would be Yoshimitsu Sawamoto. He creates amazing visuals across everything from commercials to films. His work is always experimental and makes you go "Wow." When I get stuck on a project, I think about how Sawamoto-san would structure it.

Q4. What outside the ad industry has influenced you?
A4. Manga, I guess. It's not that I read a lot of different ones; I've been reading the same ones since I was little. I love "Doraemon" and "Kochikame" (Here Comes the Neighborhood Police Box).

Q5. If you were reborn, would you do your current job again?
A5. Probably not. Not because this job is tough, but if I get the chance to be reborn, I'd like to try something completely different. I love bread, so maybe I'd bake it.