SOCIAL_BOX (Communication Design Center, George Sugi)

Sugitomo: (Opens his laptop, pointing the video of the parrot staring at him toward Kizumazo) Um, could you lift my bangs up just a little?

──I won't be controlled by anyone.

Sugitomo: Huh? Wait... Kimezo-san, you do get paid for this work, right?

──I did. (Lifts his bangs)

(Parrot's voice): "Hello, Kimezo! Let's keep our professional integrity intact!"

──Whoa!!   How do you know my name!?

Sugitomo: I just released this thing recently. It's amazing, you know? (laughs) Hehehe.

To spill the beans, I got Kimezo-san's photo beforehand and registered it. Based on that, the "face_in" facial recognition system inside the PC recognizes Kimezo-san via the camera and then reads out his name using artificial voice.

──I thought my mother who abandoned me was inside. Anyway, I came today to hear about "SOCIAL_BOX". What even is "SOCIAL_BOX" in the first place?

──So what's the unique selling point that sets it apart? For reference, mine is nipples that seem visible yet remain hidden, yet somehow are visible.

Sugitomo: What a coincidence, mine is too. But this service's selling point is its fast, good, cheap fast-food-style digital service. "SOCIAL_BOX" doesn't discriminate against any type of business. We've had inquiries from all kinds of salespeople and regular customers, and we've been able to accommodate them all. Since you can change the look and do various things, I think it's a convenient service.

──I hear it was used at the 2012 Tohoku Rokkon Festival.

Sugitomo: At the Rokkon Festival venue, you'd take your own photo, upload it to a special site on the spot, and it would be printed out as a sticker right there. Like a photo booth, right? You'd then stick it yourself onto a designated wall at the venue, completing a giant mosaic art project.

Additionally, for people who couldn't attend but still wanted to share their feelings, they could log into the site via their SNS. Their SNS icon would then be printed at the venue, and on-site staff would stick it up for them.

 

──By the way, what's the selling point of that "face_in" thing mentioned earlier? To reiterate, my selling point is nipples that seem visible yet remain hidden, yet are still visible.

Sugitomo: What a coincidence, mine is too. But this feature's selling point is "individual facial recognition." Vending machines have facial recognition too, but that only identifies gender and approximate age. This can identify individuals with nearly 100% accuracy.

Depending on the combined data—say, if users log in via Facebook—it could tell you things like, "Today's your birthday, right?" or "You went on a group date last week, didn't you?"

──But that feature's useless for me since I never get invited to mixers. By the way, I hear Mr. George created this cross-Dentsu Group virtual organization called "_ (Underscore)".

──Huh? A name change? I could consider it. So, what have you actually accomplished lately?

We created a service that links that to your social media. Before the race, you register your name, bib number, and your Facebook or Twitter account on the site. You enter your target time, then just run without carrying your phone. Then, the moment you pass each point—start, 10km, 20km, 30km, finish—your time is automatically posted. You can get an official Tokyo Marathon memento without downloading an app.

──But that feature's useless for me since my phone's off.

Sugitomo: Friends and family would leave encouraging comments on those posts, like "Congratulations!" We'd collect those and print them out in the "FINISHER'S_REPORT" right after they finished. It's a service where you get that gift immediately after shouting "I finished! Yes!" Oh, and we printed them on bananas too (laughs). Under the name "BANANA_TROPHY".

 

──But it's a pointless feature for someone like me with no friends. Oh well, anything else you want to highlight?

Sugitomo: Totally "face_in" (laughs). There are tons of services you could build using personal facial recognition. Just putting it on outdoor ads opens up possibilities—like having a coupon pop up on your phone as you walk by, saying "Hey [Your Name], here's a coupon!" Something that sounds fun but seems tough to pull off is "paying with your face." Also, I'd love to do "face pass"—just using your face for access.

──I'm the guy who can kiss women with face pass.

Sugitomo: That's great! You should be our spokesperson! You could have a door that lets you into VIP rooms with face pass, or a service that says "Mr./Ms. [Name], thank you for your continued patronage" when you pay. Like, at a cafe, if you always order the same thing, it just says "Soy latte, tall," and the payment is already done.

──Are there no other uses? Couldn't it suddenly make my face look handsome or something?

Sugitomo: That's too simple and boring. But, for example, at an idol concert, even if they shake hands with fans entering the venue and say "Thanks for coming," not all members can be there physically. So, they could have digital signage showing the members, saying things like, "○○-kun, you came again!? That's your 100th time this month ♥."

For more formal settings, like hotels or luxury fashion brands. There are situations where instantly recognizing foreign faces is difficult, right? So when a high-value customer like that walks in, it could instantly display "Mr./Ms. [Name]" and say "Thank you for always choosing us, Mr./Ms. [Name]."

"face_in" can be used for advertising, or it can be a solution focused specifically on communication.

──Don't other companies do this kind of thing? I won't stand for any copycats. Seriously, George, that hairstyle—you're copying mine, aren't you?

Sugitomo: No on both counts. While companies have facial recognition tech, it rarely becomes a full product or extends into Dentsu Inc.'s communication domain. It stays confined to its original development/investment context—like airport immigration counters—and doesn't expand beyond that.

──I see. Also, being a super popular character myself, I get it—there are issues with portrait rights, or permission, right?

Sugitomo: We've been getting a lot of inquiries lately from overseas group companies too. Attitudes toward personal information vary significantly by country, but in Japan, I think if it's a service that benefits the individual, they'd likely grant permission.

──Anything you want to say to the sales team at Dentsu Inc.?

Sugitomo: I absolutely welcome it when our internal sales reps casually come to me saying, "Got any ideas?" We get those kinds of inquiries a lot (laughs). I see it as part of my job to make sure people within the company know we possess this kind of world-leading technology.

──What originally prompted George to get into digital? I hear he joined Dentsu Inc. after changing jobs. Was it because they recognized the power of digital?

Sugitomo: At my previous company, I only did copywriting and CM planning. It was all mass advertising back then, but after joining Dentsu Inc., I didn't want to keep doing the same thing.
Can I digress a bit?

──No.

Sugitomo: Huh? Wait... didn't Mr. Kimezo get paid for this work...?

──Go ahead and digress.

Sugitomo: There was a four-year gap between my previous company and Dentsu Inc. where I was unemployed. I was on my honeymoon with my wife. By the time we returned, we weren't newlyweds anymore (laughs).
Anyway, while traveling, an African person asked me, "You don't know Skype?" Skype was exploding in popularity in Africa at the time. Since Skype launched while I was traveling, I thought, "What the heck is Skype!?" Even the Maasai had cell phones. Digital tech was just crazy.
That's when I thought Dentsu Digital Inc. looked interesting. Later, I was fortunate enough to get connected with Dentsu Inc.
──So you started with digital pretty late, huh?

Sugitomo: Yeah, I started digital at 34. Pretty late, right?
Everyone active in this industry or the world of creative work is young, so I feel like a total fossil (laughs). Or rather, you don't become a fossil unless you've been doing it properly for ages, so I'm still fresh off the boat... what am I even? (laughs).
I can't program or anything like that. If someone talks about that stuff, I just nod along like "Hmm, hmm" (laughs). But I don't reject those things; I think there's a way to make it work by adding creative elements.

──Conversely, is there anything you'd like to tell creatives working in mass advertising?

Sugitomo: I'd love to work more with creatives who mainly do mass advertising. Just adding a little digital can completely change how communication looks and feels—it becomes fresh. You can reach people from a different angle. Even just a little touch is enough. I want creatives, not just salespeople, to come consult with us. We'd be thrilled.

──By the way, short sleeves really suit you. Do you spend your days off mostly shopping for short-sleeved shirts?

Sugitomo: Sorry, I just have way too much energy (laughs). I always wear short sleeves.
My days off are busy with childcare—fun, but busy. My daughter and son are at their cutest peak, so I figure I should enjoy it while I can (laughs). I live really far away, so the last train leaves early, meaning I have to leave the office by 9:30 PM. Mornings are early too.

──Somehow, it feels like a life at the opposite end of the digital spectrum.

Sugitomo: My coworkers know this, but I'm basically not a digital person. I'm super analog. And here I am talking this much, haha!!

──Oh... Whoa!? That's a huge throwaway line! Thanks, man. Had a blast today.