Creativity has the power to transform companies from within.

Creative techniques aren't limited to advertising expressions like mass media ads. Words, design, ways of thinking. Designing and realizing how to communicate. Applying these techniques across all aspects of management to drive business forward. Communicating accurately, of course, but also stirring hearts. Uniting everyone's feelings to set the direction forward.

This series introduces such creative examples, based on insights from those involved.

Part 3: AEON FANTASY's Future Creation Project. As a strategic and creative partner, Dentsu Inc. supports AEON FANTASY's transformation—from formulating the corporate tagline and purpose, "Nurturing Passion," to campaign and product development. Among the project's outputs is the "Whose Poop?" toilet calendar—a whimsical product that reinterprets the calendar's function. We spoke with Mihoko Nishii from Dentsu Inc. Solution Creation Center and Masaya Yomaru from Creative Planning Division 2's Future Creative Center, the masterminds behind it.

 

From Entertainment Company to Edutainment Company

AEON Fantasy has developed amusement facilities in eight countries worldwide, focusing on spaces where children can play safely. In Japan, it operates diverse facilities and services catering to parent-child needs, such as "Molly Fantasy"—an amusement facility featuring play spaces for children—and "Skids Garden," an indoor playground where children play with staff called Play Leaders. These Play Leaders are either certified childcare workers/kindergarten teachers or have undergone AEON Fantasy's original educational program.

Aeon Fantasy and Dentsu Inc. launched a Future Creation Project in 2014 to accompany Aeon Fantasy's transformation. Amidst an unstoppable trend of declining birthrates, Aeon Fantasy needed to enhance the added value of its entertainment offerings to sustainably provide amusement going forward. To evolve "play," they focused on "edutainment" (entertainment × education), incorporating educational elements. In 2020, they supported Aeon Fantasy in redefining its vision to evolve into an edutainment company and developing the accompanying communication strategy.

"Who knew that was possible?!" Edutainment Calendar

During the COVID era when children worldwide were confined to their homes, we wanted to catchy appeal the concept and methods of edutainment both internally and externally. We thought transforming the toilet—a space typically devoid of both entertainment and education—into an edutainment experience could powerfully convey Aeon Fantasy's approach. So, together with the Aeon Fantasy team, we planned and produced "Whose Poop Is It?," a toilet-exclusive calendar that teaches animal ecology through poop.

On the calendar's front side, each day from the 1st to the last is depicted as part of an animal's intestines. This allows users to follow the digestive process of what the animal ate and its distinctive poop, imagining which animal produced it. Each month features a mechanism to spark children's curiosity: "What are they eating?" "What kind of animal is it?" The reverse side offers fun explanations about the animal's diet, as well as the color, shape, and smell of its poop. Each page flip deepens your knowledge of the creature.

 

The toilet-exclusive calendar "Whose Poop?" has received numerous awards, including calendar awards both domestically and internationally.

<Awards for the Toilet Calendar "Whose Poop Is It?">
・72nd National Calendar Exhibition (Sponsored by: Japan Printing Industry Federation, Fuji Sankei Business i) Category 2: Silver Prize
・Germany: Gregor Calendar Award, Japan Category - Silver Prize
・100th New York ADC Awards, Product Design Category: Merit Award
・AD STARS 2021 Print Category: Silver Award

After release, it was featured in over 50 media outlets, and the 30,000 copies prepared sold out immediately. Inquiries came from educational institutions and public interest foundations, leading to distribution to over 50 educational settings nationwide, including kindergartens and nurseries. By placing this calendar at AEON Fantasy headquarters and approximately 430 domestic stores, we aimed to convey the spirit of edutainment not only to society but also within AEON Fantasy itself.

In 2022, we planned and produced the second installment of the Edutainment Calendar: the countdown calendar "How Many Days Left?"

When developing the second edition, we focused on the idea that some children, depending on their age, might not yet have developed a sense of the days of the week and might not understand a standard calendar. Furthermore, with many events canceled or restricted due to the impact of the novel coronavirus, we wanted to bring more smiles to the time spent waiting for the next event, especially during these days filled with so much patience. It was with this sentiment that the Aeon Fantasy and Dentsu Inc. team planned and produced this calendar.

This product redefines the calendar not just as a display of dates, but as a tool for counting down the days until the next event. Children can choose an event they're looking forward to from the cards and count down the days until it happens.

What rebranding requires is change from within, not just on the surface.

In 2022, Aeon Fantasy elevated its founding corporate philosophy into a more purpose-driven statement, emphasizing its social significance. Based on changes in society and the environment surrounding children, we engaged in numerous discussions with President Tokuya Fujiwara, exploring the social role expected of the company while also unraveling the founder's vision. Through this process, we articulated AEON FANTASY's social mission: "Engaging with children means engaging with the adults of tomorrow. That is, creating the next society." We established the purpose "Nurturing children's passion and creating a world overflowing with smiles," giving birth to the corporate tagline "Nurturing Passion."

We handle branding for various companies, from large corporations to startups. What we prioritize above all is internal communication—building pride among employees. When transforming a company, merely changing its external appearance results in nothing more than superficial reform. A company is just a framework; it can only truly change when each individual employee within it changes.

At Aeon Fantasy, developing the Calendar product is just one initiative embodying our edutainment philosophy. In fact, within Aeon Fantasy, various new ventures have emerged, such as the online game school "Game College Lv.99" that cultivates "thinking skills" through games, and the playground "Nobikko" for preschoolers, bringing smiles to many children.

It's often thought that awareness changes before action, but the reality is the opposite. Action changes first, and only then does awareness follow. We also hope to support AEON FANTASY's efforts to achieve its purpose with creativity, across various initiatives—from product and business development to recruitment development.