Shinichi Fukusato × Kenjiro Sano × Takaaki Yamazaki × Masakazu Tanigawa "CM Planner Shinichi Fukusato and His Three Assassins"

Dentsu Design Talk #109 (held January 10, 2014) featured CM planner Shinichi Fukusato, author of "The Planning Technique for Those Who Watch from Behind the Telephone Pole" (Sendenkaigi). Fukusato held individual talk sessions with art director Kenjiro Sano, CM planner Takaaki Yamazaki, Copywriter Masakazu Tanigawa.

(Planning & Production: Dentsu Inc. Human Resources Bureau, Aki Kanahara     Article Editing: Sugatsuke Office, Composition Cooperation: Eiji Kobayashi)

　

"The type who watches from behind a utility pole"

 

Regarding the offer to appear on this talk show, Mr. Fukusato explained his initial hesitation: "I'm fundamentally the 'type who watches from behind a utility pole'—quite unassuming. Having never been invited to speak before, even after over 100 Dentsu Inc. Design Talks and publishing a book, I had no confidence I could draw an audience as the main speaker." He then revealed his strategy: "I specifically nominated three people—an art director, a CM planner, and a copywriter—who I knew would definitely draw an audience." Seeing the large crowd gathered at the venue, he seemed relieved.

The first guest selected was Kenjiro Sano, an art director responsible for the graphics in Toyota's "ReBORN" and "TOYOTOWN" campaigns, which Fukusato oversaw. However, their relationship was such that Hiroshi Sasaki (Singata), the creative director overseeing the entire campaign, noted, "CM and graphics are completely separate in our workflow, so we've never had a single meeting together." The talk proceeded as Sano played Fukusato's commercials he wanted to revisit, asking about Fukusato's idea generation and production process.

 

A turning point born from recognizing his own lack of talent

 

One of his signature works, the Coca-Cola Georgia commercial "Tomorrow Will Come," was created in 2000. It emerged from a three-way competition where Sano's Dentsu Inc. team had their initial proposal rejected. Their revised pitch, crafted to meet the client's request for "an ad that makes people feel positive at the turn of the century," resulted in a concept guaranteed to delight. "While we were making it, neither I nor anyone around me felt confident at all," he recalls. "But once it aired, it felt like a hit."

In fact, Mr. Fukusato began developing ideas that genuinely listened to the client's orientation around the age of 30. "When I was young, I thought talent was either something you had in spades or not at all. So I kept coming up with weird concepts that played on my twisted personality. But the ideas I thought were good rarely got approved by clients. When I forced them through, they didn't generate any buzz. I spent my twenties in frustration, and by the time I hit 30, I finally realized I just didn't have the talent." Meeting Hiroshi Sasaki around the same time was also pivotal. He had every idea Sasaki found interesting rejected outright, and Sasaki relentlessly drilled into him, "Think from the audience's perspective, not the creator's." The "Tomorrow Will Come" commercial was one of the works born during that period.

 

Leveraging rich memories to fuel creative concepts

 

Sano noted, "It's remarkable that a creative person would clearly state in his own book that he lacks talent." He analyzed the characteristic of Fukusato's commercials: "Rather than creating something new (as an expression), for example, with a product, it's an idea born purely from the product itself, becoming a sincere product advertisement. It doesn't aim for awards by trying to be artsy." And what Sano felt was most important in the book was the phrase, "Planning can only be done with memory." In response, Fukusato explained, "The human brain is inherently structured that way. Ultimately, the only material for planning comes from your own memories. Someone like me, who observes from the shadows—like behind a utility pole—might notice events happening there more keenly and possess richer memories than someone immersed in the center of a festival. I leverage that quality as my strength in planning."

 

A Craftsman and Hit Maker Who Honestly Responds to Clients

 

The second guest was Takaaki Yamazaki, who has created commercials for Recruit Hot Pepper and whom Fukusato respects as "one of the greatest commercial planners of the 21st century." Yamazaki described Fukusato: "He says he has no talent, but he's actually a bundle of talent. I think he's the most 'professional' commercial planner right now." Responding to this, Fukusato said, "I consciously set aside thoughts like 'I want to make this kind of thing' and approach each project with a craftsman's mindset. In that sense, maybe I can be called a professional."

Yamazaki further points out that while some are trapped by the idea they must do something different, "I think there are quite a few planners who simply do what the client says, but that rarely results in something that becomes a hot topic." He notes Fukusato is one of the rare people who can do it. As an example, he cites Toyota's "Child Store Manager" commercial: "To convey product information at a Toyota dealership, the setting is a Toyota store with the manager talking. It's a straightforward concept. However, Fukusato brought in a child actor for the manager role and called it 'Child Manager.' When aired, it became a huge hit, and the actor playing the manager, Kiyoshiro Kato, even appeared on the Kohaku Uta Gassen. Another commercial, Georgia's 'Tomorrow Will Come,' also became a massive hit and even developed into a movie. This is where Fukusato's professionalism truly shines."

 

The strength of a series that keeps things fresh every time

 

Another ad Mr. Yamazaki cited as a favorite, showcasing Fukusato's characteristic cynical edge, is the Suntory Boss "Alien Jones" series that began in 2006, featuring Tommy Lee Jones as an alien surveying Earth. According to Fukusato, "The moment we pitched it to the client, we felt a positive response. We thought we'd created something truly unique and excellent. But actually, the initial reaction when it aired was poor." Nevertheless, continuing the series gradually generated buzz, and it exploded in popularity with the episode where Jones sheds tears to Aki Yashiro's "Boat Song." Remarkably, it has now become an eight-year-long series. Yamazaki remarked, "Continuing to do something fresh in the same place is incredibly powerful as advertising, and what's frustrating is that they make it look so effortless every single time."

Frame-first thinking

 

The final speaker was copywriter Masayoshi Tanigawa, known for Tokyo Gas's "Gas Pa-cho!" campaign. Having worked with Fukusato on the Toyo Suisan Maruchan Seimen commercials, Tanigawa noted, "Among the three here today, we talk the most regularly." As they frequently collaborate, Tanigawa asked about his observations from their daily meetings.

First, he asked, "Why are Mr. Fukusato's ideas so 'complete' right from the first meeting?" He expressed surprise from a copywriter's perspective, having worked with many renowned planners, noting that someone like Fukusato is rare: "When he presents three ideas, all three are fully developed, including subsequent developments, right up to the campaign. The plan is truly complete from the very start." Fukusato responded, "I don't think from concrete starting points; I think logically and build from there," describing his approach as "frame-first." Tanigawa noted, "Fukusato is exceptionally skilled at organization. But while ordinary planners just organize and build, Fukusato also makes them hit. That brilliance is a mystery."

 

Interesting commercials make the world more interesting

 

Mr. Fukusato concluded by sharing his outlook: "Looking back on my twenties, when I couldn't create things the way I wanted and felt frustrated, I'm now in a position where I can keep making commercials. So, I just want to keep making lots of commercials. That desire has never wavered." This sentiment echoes the closing thought of his book: "If commercials become more interesting, television becomes more interesting, and the world becomes a little more interesting." The talk session, spanning a total of three and a half hours between top creators and distinguished guests, concluded to great acclaim.

 

〈End〉