Media > Use of Media
DENTSU, Tokyo / FUKUSHIMA MINPO / 2012
Overview
Credits
Effectiveness
On the day following the full wrap-around advertisement, the newspaper received more than 400 photographs of ‘smiling faces’. These photographs were used as the basis for the advertisement reporting the project’s implementation, making it possible to show the “smiling faces of Fukushima residents” to many people. Newspaper copies were also delivered to evacuation centers in other prefectures where Fukushima residents were staying, and messages were also received from amongst these evacuees. It also became a much discussed topic, and in 2012 will be expanded into the ‘Smile Tohoku Project’ covering three prefectures: Iwate and Miyagi, as well as Fukushima.
Execution
Since sunflowers symbolise smiling faces, sunflower seeds were planted in five locations in Fukushima Prefecture to create flower art depicting a gigantic ‘smile mark’. To create this flower art, a nationwide request for support in the form of 500 yen donations was made. On May 24 the newspaper featured a full-page project announcement, and on July 21 an advertisement was printed announcing that the sunflower seeds had been sown. On August 21 (Prefecture Residents’ Day), newspaper copies were completely enveloped in four-pages wrapping advertisements featuring smiling sunflower faces. The completion of the flower art was reported, and simultaneously a call was made for people to submit ‘Your Smiling Face’ and messages; the ‘smiling faces’ that were received were published as visual advertisements on September 30. An advertisement reporting that the project had expanded to include Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures was published on January 21, 2012.
Strategy
Due to the nuclear power plant accident following the Great East Japan Earthquake, Fukushima Prefecture is now perceived as “dangerous land contaminated by radiation”, yet many people continue to live here despite their anxiety. As Fukushima’s Number 1 local newspaper, the Fukushima Minpo desires to somehow encourage and uplift the people of Fukushima. ‘Smile Fukushima Project’ was planned with the desire to inform Fukushima evacuees to other prefectures and residents of other prefectures that there are people living happily and healthily in Fukushima.In addition to creating a symbol for the ‘Smile Fukushima Project’ a core symbolic event was held in order to increase the project’s visibility and newsworthiness. As part of advertising activities, attention was drawn to the project by utilising newspaper space—a newspaper company’s greatest weapon. In addition, through the continuous transmission of information—from announcement, to implementation, to report, and then again to announcement—understanding of the project was promoted and sympathy for it fostered.
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