A form of "support" born from love for soccer, transcending conventional advertising norms.

This series introduces Dentsu Inc.'s internal projects and people who work based on the theme of "turning passion into power," starting from employees' personal interests and passions.

This installment focuses on soccer. Kirin Holdings has served as the Official Top Partner of the Japan Football Association for over 40 years. We spoke with Shinya Izumi, who has led activation initiatives like the "Kirin Challenge Cup" at Kirin, and Dentsu Inc.'s Kenta Ichiba, who supports these efforts, about the reality of work where passion becomes power.

From Childhood Fascination with Soccer to Making It My Career

──First, please tell us about your day-to-day work.

Izumi: I work in Kirin Holdings' Marketing Strategy Department, handling corporate branding through soccer. Kirin has supported the Japan National Soccer Team since 1978—this year marks our 48th year. My mission is to connect people's hearts through soccer and create social and economic value, working daily with various stakeholders.

Kazushi: I'm an Integrated Marketing Planner at Dentsu Inc. My main role involves end-to-end execution: identifying challenges in corporate marketing strategies, media planning, creative supervision, and designing and managing the PDCA cycle from awareness to purchase. Soccer is such a driving force for me that I find myself wondering how to incorporate it into any project to create synergistic effects whenever possible.

──What drew you two to soccer?

Izumi: My origin story is Captain Tsubasa, which I devoured as a child. However, I was immersed in kendo from elementary school onward, so I didn't start playing soccer seriously until university. What truly moved me was the "Doha Tragedy" in 1993. I was captivated by the Japanese national team's fighting spirit.

In high school, I happened to see the Kirin Cup on TV and thought, "Kirin is involved in soccer?" That sparked my interest. I applied to Kirin purely because I loved soccer. I remember feeling incredibly proud when I received a pin badge at the job offer ceremony—it had the Japanese national team emblem with the KIRIN logo underneath. I wore it on my chest all the way home, and I still remember that feeling.

──When did you start working on soccer-related projects?

Izumi: Since 2017. Because I've supported it for so long, I believe in its value and approach my work with that conviction. Many employees at Kirin joined because they love soccer, and I feel soccer also contributes to employee engagement.

──Next, please tell us about your connection to soccer, Mr. Ichiba.

Kazushi: I started playing soccer at age 5 and was on the soccer team all the way through university. I vividly remember away games in the university league where strangers cheered for us and celebrated our victories with us. I thought it was amazing that soccer could make people happy and energize them.

I vaguely wanted to do work that moved people's hearts without them having to think too hard about it. Then, by chance, my father suggested, "Why not go to Dentsu Inc.?" I learned Dentsu Inc. also handled soccer-related work, so I joined. In my case, I joined Dentsu Inc. with the clear intention of wanting to work on something soccer-related from the start.

──How did you get involved with soccer work after joining?

Kazushi: I was initially assigned to the Kansai Marketing Division. I didn't expect to get soccer work right away, but the Kansai office had this culture where a futsal tournament was a major event, and everyone from all divisions competed. I performed well and won the tournament, which led to people recognizing me as "the soccer guy."Later, a senior colleague consulted me about a client wanting to feature a Brazilian soccer player. I proposed a campaign utilizing Neymar, who was still relatively unknown at the time. That idea was successfully adopted.

Izumi: That's practically scouting! (laughs)

Kazushi: With that happening, when I transferred to Tokyo in 2018, I proactively pitched myself to become the Kirin account manager within the company. After working on beverage projects, I was able to get involved with soccer projects a year later.

Izumi: I remember that first meeting in 2018. You came wearing blue sneakers and said, "Because the Japanese national soccer team wears blue" – that really stuck with me (laughs).

Kazushi: I'm glad you remember. Since then, I've been fortunate to continue handling soccer projects, and I kick the ball regularly in my free time too. At BUKATSU, soccer-loving employees gather, connecting not just within the Marketing Division but also with members from other divisions and group companies. Soccer, which connects people from juniors to veterans, transcending roles and departments, is truly a valuable and wonderful communication tool.

An unprecedented advertising campaign born from a genuine desire to "support"

──Could you explain again how Kirin is involved with soccer?

Izumi: At Kirin, we've always cherished the stance of "supporting the Japan National Soccer Team." While terms like sponsorship or co-sponsorship could be used, we insist on the word "support." It's a stance of "supporting together" – not just the players, but also the fans and supporters, the stakeholders helping expand soccer's reach, and ourselves included.

At the core of this is the "Kirin Challenge Cup," held as a friendly tournament. While organized by the Japan Football Association, we invest in it and collaborate with our partners to implement activation initiatives that energize the matches.

In recent years, we've also focused on solving social issues through soccer. One example is "Walking Football." It's a 5-on-5 soccer game played at a walking pace, where players pass the ball along the ground to score goals. Anyone can enjoy it together, regardless of gender, age, disability status, or soccer experience. Since COVID-19, it has become a place where people can reconnect and feel that sense of community again by kicking the ball together.

After the Noto Peninsula earthquake, we held walking football sessions on the grounds of elementary and junior high schools serving as evacuation centers. I'll never forget how delighted the elderly participants were when they joined in spontaneously, saying, "Moving my body like this for the first time in ages really lifted my spirits." Honestly, we felt energized by them instead.

──That really conveys the meaning of "support." Mr. Ichiba, you've worked with Kirin on various initiatives. Which activation campaign stands out most to you?

Kazushi: The 2021 "Live LED Support Project." During Kirin Challenge Cup matches, this initiative displayed fans' and supporters' messages posted on social media in real time on LED boards at the pitch side.

Kazushi: At the time, matches were held without spectators due to the pandemic, and players couldn't feel the fans' cheers. In soccer, the impact of spectator support is so significant that it's often said "home advantage matters." Players involved in J.League and national team matches were voicing how much they needed that support, while fans and supporters were eager to deliver their cheers live.

That's when the proposal emerged: "Why not stop advertising on the pitch-side boards?" Traditionally, these boards displayed brand logos, serving as crucial branding space visible on TV broadcasts. The idea was to deliberately forgo advertising and transform that space into a platform for delivering fans' voices. We believed placing fans' words there held special meaning precisely because it was the spot closest to the players on the pitch.

Izumi: I still clearly remember when Mr. Isshiba first proposed this idea. It was completely unexpected, and honestly, I had doubts: "Can we really pull this off?" But in a situation where the players couldn't hear the crowd, I thought, "If we can create a space that lets them feel the support reaching them on the pitch, I definitely want to try it."

Kazushi: There were many hurdles to overcome. Real-time monitoring of social media posts, message selection, risk management, and more. The unprecedented challenge of not displaying corporate logos on such important advertising space was also a major hurdle. Still, with the cooperation of many people, we managed to make it happen by combining the story of Kirin Group's symbol, the "Sacred Beast Kirin," delivering the messages, and expressing "what Kirin stands for."

──How did the players and fans react?

Kazushi: We received many messages from players saying things like "This was encouraging" and "Thank you." On X (then Twitter), it became a major topic among fans, consistently trending high after every match. I think this project was possible precisely because I had three perspectives: as a player, a supporter, and a marketer.

Izumi: Exactly. I believe it truly embodied the spirit of "support" that Kirin values. Internally, it was received very positively as a "stylish challenge." Looking back, I think it was precisely because Mr. Ichiba's proposal was filled with pure love for soccer and passion that everyone felt motivated to overcome the significant hurdles and make it happen.

In the AI era, passion for what you love becomes your greatest asset

──How do you two interpret "turning passion into work"?

Kazushi: There were times when doing what I love—soccer—as my job was viewed negatively. People would say, "Work and play should be separate." But I see it differently. Precisely because I love it, I can think deeply about it. My perspective naturally broadens, allowing me to generate ideas others might not conceive. Above all, being able to propose things with passion is a huge advantage.

In today's world, proposals anyone can make are replaced by AI. When I think about what only I can do, I believe the answer lies within my passion. Especially since our company challenges itself to create things that don't yet exist in the world, that driving force of passion is crucial for taking bold steps and challenging ourselves.

Izumi: I agree. Of course, since it's work, there are times when cool-headed judgment is required. You can't mix business with pleasure. But on the other hand, I also believe that without the passion of the people involved in the work, you can't move people's hearts. While conducting research, analyzing the needs of core fans and casual fans, and making rational decisions, I always want to hold onto that passionate feeling of "liking" something.

Actually, I originally loved soccer so much that I didn't want to turn it into a job. I worried that making something I loved my work might make me dislike it. But once I actually started doing it, I began thinking, "Huh? Maybe we could do this too?" or "If I infuse my own passion into our existing efforts, maybe we could make it even more interesting."

For example, reaching more people means connecting with casual fans is important, but that doesn't mean I'd ever want to neglect core fans. Precisely because I'm a core fan myself, I believe I can maintain that perspective.

──Are most members of your company's soccer project team also big soccer fans?

Izumi: No, if everyone on the team were core fans, it would become too biased. We intentionally include members with different perspectives, including those who aren't fans. But conversely, if it were just a group of people uninterested in soccer, they'd surely miss the subtle nuances of what truly matters to the passionate fans. In that sense, having people who genuinely love it within the team is incredibly important.

We don't know how far AI will evolve, but humans have those moments where things are understood without words, right? Like when the corners of someone's mouth lift slightly, or their eyes soften. You just know, "Ah, this person genuinely loves it." That kind of human quality is where I feel authenticity, and it moves me. It's precisely because you love something that you can pour your passion into it wholeheartedly, and that feeling gets conveyed to others. I believe that's a fundamental power humans possess.

Believing in the power of soccer, I want to do work with nuance that moves people's hearts.

──Finally, what challenges do you want to take on in your future soccer-related work?

Kazushi: I want to keep working on unprecedented initiatives centered around soccer. Especially with Kirin, we've been collaborating on the large-scale theme of the Japanese national team, so I'd be thrilled to take on new challenges together going forward.

People can live without soccer in their daily lives. But soccer makes everyday life a little richer. I believe soccer has the power to energize people and society. I want to leverage that power of soccer to create many initiatives that move people's hearts.

Izumi: Kirin began supporting the Japan National Football Team in 1978. While many people support the team now, back then, the crowds were sparse. I believe Kirin has continued supporting them all this time because they were truly serious about it. Carrying on the spirit of those predecessors, we will seriously tackle not only this year's Kirin Challenge Cup/Kirin Cup Soccer but also social issue resolution activities through walking football. We will believe in the power of soccer and take on new challenges.I hope we can continue doing meaningful work through soccer alongside people like Kazushi, who are driven by their passion and approach things with genuine enthusiasm.