Learning Copywriting on "Coten Radio"

Mr. Yukio Hashiguchi, who serves as Creative Director/Copywriter at Dentsu Inc. He invites "masters of words" active in worlds completely separate from advertising.

This series re-edits the content of webinars held every other month from the editorial team's perspective. Guided by Hashiguchi's viewpoint that "new things always arrive with new words," we delve deeper into the power of language and its potential.

In this first installment, we introduce the mechanisms and appeal of words that move the times, drawing from a dialogue between Mr. Hashiguchi and Mr. Ryunosuke Fukai, who is gaining attention for his " Koten Radio " content exploring history across time and place.

Editorial responsibility: Web Dentsu Inc. Editorial Department

Fukai Ryunosuke: Representative of COTEN, which develops the historical database "coten" andoperatesthe podcast "COTENRADIO: Learning History in an Engaging Way. " He is passionate about humanities, history, and social sciences. He is currently leading a project to create a massive world history database. This database systematically organizes 3,500 years of world history information, enabling anyone to extract societal and human tendencies and patterns that would typically require reading 200 to 300 books to understand. Mr. Yukio Hashiguchi: Creative Director/Copywriter. Recent notable works include Lotte Ghana Chocolate, "World Down Syndrome Day" newspaper ads, and the SKY PerfecTV! Sakai Councilman series. As a history enthusiast, he has also handled advertising for history-themed works like "Fūunji-tachi" and the "Onihei Hankachō 25th Anniversary Poster." Author of "100-Idea Thinking" and "Word Diet. " https://twitter.com/yukio8494

 

"Rather than a banquet with 500 beauties, dialogue with oneself. Buddha" (contrast structure)

The Buddha, who abandoned his life of luxury as a prince to renounce the world and save all beings. Imagining the drama hidden behind his serene expression is one of the pleasures of history. (Yukio Hashiguchi)

Among the copy introduced on "Koten Radio," this was the one Hashiguchi immediately focused on. Another example is "Rousseau: Genius Thinker and Perverted Gentleman." Hashiguchi points out that both demonstrate the magic of words created by "contrasting structures."

"The Buddha was born a prince, a man fulfilled in all three of humanity's so-called fundamental desires. That's precisely why this copy is so compelling. The same goes for Rousseau. The fact that a genius thinker, often called the 'Father of Human Rights,' was also an exhibitionist or a masochist reveals the profound depths of human nature. This technique is frequently used in advertising too. Copywork like 'Imagination and a Few Hundred Yen' (Shincho Bunko) gives people chills."

"The man who struck a match in a room filled with gasoline: Luther" (analogy)

Actually, Luther himself apparently never intended to start a Reformation. His ideas took on a life of their own, and he felt they had gotten out of his control. What we'd call "going viral" today? (Yukio Hashiguchi)

On "Koten Radio," Fukai described Luther, known as the spark that ignited the Reformation, this way: "In innovation, the person who strikes the match tends to get all the attention. But I think the real point is that the room was already filled with gasoline."

When the world changes, language is there. Or, sometimes, trivial language can change the world. "I think it's about giving the energized masses theoretical weapons," Fukai said.

"A cause is incredibly important to people. When there's a cause, dispersed energy suddenly converges there. It's the same as the slogans companies put forward in modern society. Fifty years ago, maybe, but in this era, just making money isn't enough to unite the hearts of employees, shareholders, and customers as a cause." In Mr. Hashiguchi's words, we glimpse the essence of terms we hear often these days, like mission and engagement.
 

"Cao Cao: The Hero Who Conquered the World from a Startup" (Replacement)

Though often portrayed as a villain in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, historical Cao Cao was a top-tier statesman and military strategist. His aura is palpable even in portraits. (Yukio Hashiguchi) Painting source: Cao Cao Mengde from Sansai Zue (National Diet Library website)

This copy, revealed on "Koten Radio," sparked a lively webinar discussion about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. While this humble writer struggles to fully grasp the dynamism of the Three Kingdoms era, that's not the point. Cao Cao is famously known for reading books while on horseback during war. Hashiguchi points out the fascinating aspect: replacing his origins with the modern term "startup."

"The relationship between Zhuge Kongming and Liu Bei also clicks instantly when framed as 'Liu Bei's first-ever strategic consulting session in his life.' This technique of substitution is also a common approach in advertising copy."

According to Fukai, Liu Bei was originally a rough-and-tumble character, like a mercenary, someone who only thought about how to get food that day, how to feed himself. But he possessed a talent for listening to others, or rather, a humility. "That's precisely why I believe he could receive every word from Zhuge Liang, the unparalleled military strategist, as strategic consulting."

Regarding the title "Hitler, Age 30: NEET, Unemployed, Self-Proclaimed Artist" featured on Koten Radio, Fukai explains: "He possessed neither the talent of a military strategist nor that of a politician. Yet his talent for oratory was exceptional. If you can sense the nuance in that 'self-proclaimed' part of 'self-proclaimed artist,' doesn't history suddenly become fascinating?"

Words change history

This portrait of Prince Shōtoku (Tang-style portrait) is now also subject to theories suggesting it may not depict the prince himself. Precisely because of this, the joy of imagination arises. (Yukio Hashiguchi) Painting source: National Diet Library website

"The Emperor of the Land Where the Sun Rises writes to the Emperor of the Land Where the Sun Sets, wishing him well." This is the famously attributed letter from Prince Shōtoku to Emperor Yang of Sui. Hashiguchi points out that it is the oldest and one of the rarest masterpieces of copywriting in Japanese history.

Fukai interjects a comment: "At that time, Japan was a developing, so to speak, barbaric small country located at the eastern edge of the great Sui Empire. The fact that they expressed the 'ruler of a tiny country located in the east' as the 'Emperor of the Land Where the Sun Rises' is remarkable, isn't it? Moreover, referring to the emperor of a great nation as the 'Son of Heaven where the sun sets'—using a word implying demise rather than equality—even gives the impression of looking down on him." This is precisely what Hashiguchi means by "words that changed history." A single turn of phrase can shift the course of a nation's history. Words possess that kind of power.

Though it's a somewhat lengthy quote, the words of Helen Keller that Hashiguchi introduced are also fascinating.

"Never has a pessimist discovered a new star, sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new door in the world of the mind." Mr. Hashiguchi notes, "This applies to company management too. People who speak pessimistically are often just preparing excuses for when they fail. Yet, while optimistic people might seem foolish, pessimists often appear wise. When Helen Keller cuts right to the heart of this, it makes you pause."

Fukai states that pessimistic language possesses the power to halt things. It corresponds to the "brake" in the often-heard phrase "accelerator and brake." While brakes are reported as if they represent bold decisions, from another perspective, they can simply be interpreted as "giving up on moving forward." We are living in the present, manipulated by such words.

History remains fascinating even when spoiled

Mr. Fukai expressed the fascination of history, the fascination of knowing history, like this. After all, things that remain interesting even when spoiled aren't exactly common in this world, right? Watching a recorded replay of a sports match whose outcome you already know isn't the least bit interesting. But history is different. In fact, historical facts we thought we "knew" can be overturned overnight. Just learning that the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, which I memorized as "Let's build a good country," actually didn't happen in 1192, gives me a thrill.

In "Fukai Ryunosuke's Lexical Algorithm," there's this passage: "Every person has value simply by being alive. I truly believe this. I'm not saying it as some pretty idealistic notion. Our past history clearly shows this to be true."

I thought, "That makes sense." "For example, there are people called NEETs. They're often portrayed as a dark side of modern society in the media. But looking back from 100 or 200 years in the future, a historical perspective might emerge where the existence of NEETs had a profound impact on society. Whether that impact was positive or negative, we won't know until then. I think the important thing is to hold the perspective that they might be having an impact."

※This series is edited from the content of the webinar titled "Frontiers of Language," supervised by its organizer and MC, Mr. Yukio Hashiguchi (CXCC Bureau), and presented from Dentsu Inc.'s unique perspective.