After the March earthquake and tsunami, companies and individuals in Japan undertook numerous ‘actions for reconstruction’. There was much that communications could do for people affected by the disaster.No one knows when or where a similar disaster might happen next.We saw passing on knowledge, of the ways communication can be utilised in times of disaster, as a mission of advertising agencies of disaster-ravaged Japan.This is how 2 rival Japanese agencies came together to start a joint project.

We collected some 60 examples of communication-related relief activities. We knew if we made a an activities booklet, it would soon be thrown away.

What could we do to make sure people hung onto this precious knowledge until disaster struck, rather than disposing of it?We learned that following food and daily necessities, the most sought-after items at evacuation shelters were amusements like card games and puzzles. Therefore, we selected 52 activities and actions that came about after the disaster and turned them into decks of 52 playing cards and Number Place puzzles

We distributed the 2 card games to 1,500 top executives of major Asian ad agencies, media companies, production houses and clients. This enabled us to give around 900 major communication companies in Asia Second Aid they can use in case of disaster.

The joint release of the cards by our 2 agencies made our message so much more impactful to the executives in other major communication companies.