Sustainability Advertising: Five Years of Change as Seen Through the 'Dentsu Inc. Advertising Award SDGs Special Prize'

Dentsu Inc. established the 'Dentsu Advertising Award SDGs Special Prize' in 2020. Each year, it selects works that earnestly explore what advertising can do to achieve the SDGs.

This article looks back at the award-winning works from the past five years and features a discussion among Koichi Kaneda, the chair of the award's selection committee; Risa Tanaka, a member of the selection committee; and Koji Kagoshima, a member of the award's secretariat and a Creative Director at Dentsu Inc., on what is required of sustainability advertising.

(From left) Koichi Kaneda: Senior Specialist, Sustainability Management Promotion Department, NTT DATA Group. After working at Sony, the U.S. Embassy, and Bloomberg TV, he has been involved in establishing and promoting sustainability management at five companies, including his current position. Director, Japan Social Innovation Society. Risa Tanaka: President, Graduate School of Business Design. Served as Editor-in-Chief of the advertising and marketing trade magazine "Senden Kaigi" from 1995 to 2008. Assumed current position in 2016. Koji Kagoshima: Copywriter/Creative Director, Dentsu Inc. Customer Experience Creative Center. Currently active with a focus on applying advertising and communication skills to solving social issues.

<Table of Contents>
▼Each Session Reveals New Perspectives on Sustainability Advertising Production
▼Sustainability Advertising Generates Both Social Value and Corporate Value
▼Business Activities Themselves Become Sustainability Advertising
▼2024 Keywords: "Unconscious Bias" and "Shift from Environment to Human Rights"
▼Future Sustainability Advertising Demands "Circular Value" and "Discussions on Generative AI"

With each session, we discover new perspectives on creating sustainability advertising

Kagoshima: Mr. Kaneda, you have been involved in promoting sustainability management at various companies and have served as the Selection Committee Chair for the "Advertising Dentsu Award SDGs Special Prize" since its inception. Could you briefly explain the significance of this award?

Kaneda: Following the adoption of the SDGs, we began seeing corporate advertising that communicates corporate philosophy and purpose, as well as advertising that leverages the SDGs platform to convey the significance of a company's business. I refer to such advertising as "sustainability advertising." The Advertising Dentsu Inc. Award SDGs Special Prize aims to

1. clarifying the new genre of sustainability advertising in Japan
2. its penetration into Japanese society and businesses
3. Promoting behavioral change toward a sustainable society (as expressed by the SDGs) among those exposed to such ads

I believe we have presented the broad concept over the past five years.

Kaneda: A key feature of this award is reflected in the composition of its selection committee. In line with the spirit of the SDGs, we invite individuals with diverse backgrounds to serve as judges. Beyond advertising creatives and media professionals, we include NGO/NPO staff, social entrepreneurs, LGBTQ+ individuals, and corporate sustainability officers. We select award-winning works through direct discussion via web conferences.

During the selection committee meetings, all members provide comments supporting the candidate works or pointing out concerns. Frank opinions are freely exchanged, such as "This ad makes a child say what adults want to say" or "We don't see the connection between this company and this chosen theme."

Kagoshima: How have the submitted works changed over the five years from 2020 to 2024?

Kaneda: Broadly speaking, the proportion of "aggressive" entries has increased. For example, we see more works that: "Prioritize pressing social crises over the company's own activities," "Force people to make choices through the ad itself," or "Depict a future where the company's products solve social issues." The variety of approaches has become more diverse. However, this has also led to more comments from committee members about "perceived greenwashing." Regarding themes, while environmental issues were initially prominent, topics related to human rights and DEI have grown in recent years.

Kagoshima: At Web Dentsu Inc., we conduct annual analyses of the winning entries with Mr. Kaneda, the selection committee, and representatives from the winning companies ( see article here ). In these analyses, Mr. Kaneda identifies the characteristics and keywords of the entries for each year (see table below). These not only represent trends in sustainability advertising but also highlight key points companies should consider when creating such ads.

Kagoshima: Mr. Tanaka, who has served as editor-in-chief of magazines like "Senden Kaigi," "Kankyo Kaigi," and "Jigyo Kosho," has been a selection committee member since 2023 as an expert in advertising, public relations, and marketing.

Tanaka: For the first three years since its inception, only one Special Award was selected. However, starting in 2023, we also introduced the Excellence Award. This reflects how sustainability advertising has diversified to the point where it can no longer be condensed into a single award, showcasing the emergence of various approaches.

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Sustainability advertising creates both social value and corporate value

Kagoshima: Let's review the winning works from each year and consider the elements required for sustainability advertising.

In 2020, the award went to Tokai Television Broadcasting's TV commercial "Public Campaign: Living with Invisible Disabilities." This work, created in documentary format, aimed to inform society about the realities faced by individuals with developmental disabilities. What aspects were recognized?

Click the image to view the commercial.

Kaneda: Tokai Television has consistently produced public campaign commercials addressing social issues since 2008, and this ongoing commitment was also highly valued. Holding the selection committee revealed that the Dentsu Advertising Award SDGs Special Prize inevitably considers the advertiser's past actions. This may distinguish it from other advertising creative awards that evaluate only the work itself. Beyond this continuity, they presented it through documentary film. The recognition came from identifying what only a broadcaster can do, understanding the unique purpose of a broadcaster, and elevating that into the work itself.

Kagoshima: The 2021 winning work was Kai Corporation's "#ShaveFreedom." Its bold visuals featuring virtual models showing unshaven underarm hair became a hot topic.

Kaneda: The message challenging stereotypical attitudes toward body hair was highly praised. The copy "Decide for yourself" is also quite bold.

Tanaka: Amidst a flood of ads that exaggerate perceived flaws and insecurities to stoke anxiety, this was an epoch-making work that even influenced the debate over such advertising's merits. It's a brilliant challenge to take something society questions – "Isn't this a bit off?" – and weave it into a proposal for their own product or service.

Kaneda: This ad is designed to generate corporate value alongside social value, which is very SDGs-like. I asked the person in charge, "Won't the message 'Shave or don't shave, it's your choice' make some people stop buying Kai Corporation shavers?" Even so, Kai Corporation considered corporate value from a long-term, comprehensive perspective. They believed that if their message got across, it would ultimately increase fans of their brand and lead to sales of other products.

Kagoshima: Kai conducted a survey beforehand to gauge the potential impact of the ad before proceeding with the campaign, right? They meticulously strategized to pull off such a bold advertisement.

Kaneda: When challenging conventional norms, negative opinions are expected. This ad uses virtual models instead of real celebrities. Considering the risks of celebrity endorsements helps avoid damaging corporate value.

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The business activities themselves become sustainability advertising

Kagoshima: The 2022 award-winning work was Tsumura's "Start by Understanding the Differences. #MyPeriodShape."

Tanaka: It was an ad that sought to express the invisible nature of menstrual pain, creating an opportunity for a wide audience—both those experiencing it and those who don't—to think about their daily lives in relation to menstrual pain.

Kaneda: This was a period when the COVID-19 pandemic intensified, and societal anxiety became markedly apparent. People increasingly realized that societal changes weren't just someone else's problem; they directly impacted Japanese companies and every individual citizen. This influenced advertising expression too, prompting introspection: "What can our company contribute?"

I feel the common keyword "visualization" was also influenced by this. Visualization through advertising encourages collective behavioral change. Besides Tsumura's ad visualizing pain, among the submitted entries was Mizkan's "B-Side Recipes." This ad proposes reducing food waste. Recipes often list quantities as "one-third" or "one-half," which means two-thirds or one-half of the ingredients remain unused. Mizkan visualized these leftover ingredients numerically and developed "B-side recipes" using them.

Kagoshima: That year, another work highly praised by the selection committee was Nippon Ham's "Sausage Haircut Ceremony."

Kaneda: During a time of widespread societal anxiety, and amidst sustainability ads that often tend to be overly serious, this work reminded us of the importance of "humor." To reduce plastic, they cut the drawstring part of the packaging. They likened this to a sumo wrestler's hair-cutting ceremony, creating a commercial where they literally cut the packaging with scissors. The result was a chuckle-worthy piece that captured attention. I hear that at the 2024 Cannes Lions, humanity and humor were intentionally highlighted as key evaluation points, serving as an antithesis to the unexpected progress of AI. I sense a similar dynamic here.

Kagoshima: In 2023, LIFULL HOME'S "FRIENDLY DOOR" was selected.

Kaneda: From this work, we learned that "the company's initiative itself can become sustainability advertising." "LIFULL HOME'S 'FRIENDLY DOOR'" is an initiative where a dedicated website searches for and introduces real estate companies that are understanding and willing to consult with people often called "housing disadvantaged" – such as foreign nationals, LGBTQ+ individuals, the elderly, and people with disabilities. In other words, the inclusive business itself is the work.

Tanaka: While the quality of the advertising expression is certainly a factor in the selection for the Advertising Dentsu Inc. Award SDGs Special Prize, I believe the novelty of the initiative was particularly valued this year. It's also wonderful that LIFULL's initiative originated from a single employee's idea. For those working in housing coordination, it must be heartbreaking to know there are customers who cannot access housing. Thinking about this challenge within their daily work – "What is the bottleneck?" "Is there a solution?" – connects directly to confronting social issues.

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The keywords for 2024 are "Unconscious Bias" and "Shift from Environment to Human Rights"

Kagoshima: In 2024, Nippon Broadcasting's "Radio Charity Musicthon (White Cane Experience Edition)" won a special award. This radio commercial uniquely recreated the real-life experience of a visually impaired person using a white cane navigating the city, using only sound.

Tanaka: There are many things we can't imagine unless we put ourselves in their shoes. This commercial allows listeners to understand, through a simulated experience, how someone with a white cane walks and moves around, aiming to raise awareness about coexistence with visually impaired individuals.

Kaneda: Audio advertising has been gaining attention recently, and among the selection committee members, there were voices saying, "Finally, a radio commercial has been chosen for the main prize."

You can listen to the commercial here

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Kaneda: From all the entries in 2024, the keyword "unconscious bias" emerged. Both of the Excellence Awards are related to this keyword. The first is AC Japan's ad "Voices I Heard." It presented animated scenes from various settings like companies, schools, and homes without audio, asking viewers whether the speaker was male or female. The aim was to make people aware of unconscious bias.

Tanaka: These days, things we do or say with good intentions can sometimes be perceived as harassment. I believe the root cause is assumptions. Recently, companies have been implementing "unconscious bias" training. It's crucial not just to instruct people that "○○ is harassment and therefore unacceptable," but also to encourage them to see things from the other person's perspective and imagine how the person and those around them might feel.

Click the image to view the commercial.

Kagoshima: Another point is Yamaha's "Anyone Can Perform the Ninth." This project utilizes Yamaha's performance-assist AI technology, "Anyone Can Play Piano," enabling people with disabilities to perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in concert alongside an orchestra and choir.

Tanaka: It uses technology to overcome the unconscious bias that "playing piano is difficult if you have a disability." I felt like I caught a glimpse of the essence of DX.

Click the image to watch the project movie. &nbsp;
Kaneda: From the 2024 entries, I also sensed a 'shift from environmental to human rights themes.' As mentioned earlier, when the Dentsu Advertising Award SDGs Special Prize was first established, many ads focused on environmental themes. Now, ads addressing human rights and DEI are gradually increasing.

Kagoshima: Environmental issues are difficult to solve in an easily understandable way, and if advertising is done incorrectly, there is a risk of it becoming greenwashing.

Kaneda: In Europe, so-called "greenwashing regulations" are well established, and since it's a theme that everyone is tackling, it's difficult to differentiate through advertising. On the other hand, in Japan, until recently, it was risky for companies to talk about human rights, but now, as understanding of "business and human rights" has progressed, not taking action and not disclosing information is becoming the risk.

Tanaka: I think the challenge facing the SDGs now is to identify issues that are not yet apparent, such as someone somewhere suffering in silence.

Kagoshima: At Dentsu Inc., we have created a Sustainability Communication Guide to ensure that advertising does not become greenwashing.

Kaneda: For companies involved in sustainability advertising, we need both an "accelerator" to challenge various themes and expressions, and a "guide" to help us continue challenging ourselves while exercising restraint against greenwashing.

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What's needed for future sustainability advertising is "circular value" and "discussion on generative AI."

Kagoshima: How do you envision sustainability advertising evolving in the future?

Kaneda: While this is just one possible direction, following the trend of sustainability management, more companies might start using advertising for "outcome reporting." We understand their purpose and enthusiasm. We understand their activities through their products and services. But what's needed is disclosure of the outcomes and impact: how people's behaviors changed as a result, and how society was affected.

Tanaka: "Reporting results" is crucial. While large corporations produce integrated reports, they often stop at communicating with stakeholders and investors, failing to reach everyday consumers. That's a missed opportunity. Even if efforts towards achieving the SDGs haven't been entirely successful, summarizing the journey, identifying challenges, and saying "This is what we'll do next" through advertising is a very sincere approach that can foster empathy.

Reflecting on this year's Dentsu Inc. Advertising Award SDGs Special Prize, various keywords and points emerged, and I felt each was important. When people inspired by advertising think, "I'll start doing something too, even if it's small," and their actions feed back into corporate activities and society – that reaffirmed the value of advertising.

Kaneda: Additionally, when considering future sustainability advertising, the use of AI in ad production is a major challenge. Generative AI will likely become commonplace in creating work. For example, ads using deepfake videos can either raise awareness about achieving a sustainable society or cause misperceptions. I hope we can continue having candid discussions with the selection committee members, including Mr. Tanaka, about both the opportunities and risks involved, just as we have done before.

Kagoshima: Thank you for today.