Asia | WARC

HSBC: The power of empathising upwards – walking a mile in exceptionally expensive shoes

Case Study • Account Planning Group - (UK), Entrant, 2019

HSBC, a bank, used the power of empathy globally to turn the Asset Management arm of HSBC into what the Financial Times defined as a "rising star" in the category.

How TikTok reaches Gen Z in Japan with WTF hashtag challenges

Article • Low Lai Chow, Event Reports, Spikes Asia, September 2019

At Spikes Asia, TikTok Japan shared three factors to boost the chances of any brand looking to attract young consumers via a hashtag challenge.

The Rakuten guide to sustainability

Article • Brian Carruthers, Event Reports, DMEXCO, September 2019

Considers what “sustainability” actually means and the impact of ESG reporting.

Acuvue: Restart – Johnson & Johnson Vision

Case Study • ARF Ogilvy Awards, Silver, 2019

Acuvue, a contact lens brand, launched an ad copy and digital banner campaign to reconnect with consumers in Japan, and encourage them to restart with Acuvue contact lenses.

Yahoo Japan takes control of fashion retailer Zozo

News • 13 September 2019

Yahoo Japan has agreed to take a majority stake in online fashion retailer Zozo in a move expected to ramp up Yahoo’s e-commerce rivalry with Amazon and Rakuten.

Lockheed Martin: Launching Japan’s Next Generation of Women Leaders in STEM

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Transportation & Logistics, Gold, 2019

Lockheed Martin, an aerospace and defence company, increased interest in STEM subjects from female students in Japan by launching a rocketry challenge that gave them practical experience.

ISEHAN Co. Ltd.: We're Hiring... Based on Looks!

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Employer Branding, Gold, 2019

Isehan, the cosmetics maker, organised a job recruitment campaign in Japan to encourage applicants to come to their job interview looking like themselves.

Yahoo! Japan: Diversity in Disaster Preparation

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Superior Achievement in Research and Planning, Diamond, 2019

Yahoo!, the search engine, raised awareness of the many challenges facing people in post natural-disaster shelters to help people in Japan to be better prepared.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation: Discover Choice

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, IN2, Winner, 2019

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, an aircraft producer, connected with airlines around the world at The Farnborough Airshow thanks to its strong presence and powerful tagline.

Hotels.com: Introducing Bleisure to Japan

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Marketing to Men, Gold, 2019

Hotels.com, a hotel-booking service, used humour to reach business travellers in Japan.

Rakuten bets on original content to boost advertising revenue

News • 28 August 2019

E-commerce company Rakuten has embarked on a joint venture with The H Collective, a movie production company based in California, to create original content.

Lux taps gender inequality issues in Japan

News • 14 August 2019

Lux, the Unilever-owned haircare brand, is tapping into issues around gender inequality in Japan, following research that sought to decode an apparent ambivalence towards the topic.

New Balance mixes mobile ads and games

News • 08 August 2019

New Balance, the athletic footwear and apparel brand, enjoyed success in reaching young consumers in multiple markets through using a mobile ad unit that doubled as a compelling game.

New Balance’s mobile gaming ad unit drives engagement and brand lift

Article • Stephen Whiteside, Event Reports, IAB NextGen Marketing Summit, June 2019

New Balance wanted to promote its Fresh Foam sneakers to 13–24-year-olds in the United States, China and, Japan.

Seem: The Family Way

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Recruit Lifestyle, a human resources company, launched the Seem device to raise awareness of men’s fertility issues in Japan.

Apple: The Rock X Siri — Dominate The Day

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Apple, a technology brand, created a short film on YouTube that showed Siri organisation Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's busy schedule to encourage users across China, Japan, Germany, the UK and the US to re-engage with Siri.

Demography and e-commerce hit Japan's retailers

News • 14 June 2019

It has been recognised for some time that high street retailers are struggling to adapt to the rise of e-commerce in the UK and the US, but now new analysis has shown that Japan’s bricks-and-mortar sector is in trouble too.

Lux: Shrugging off gender inequality – Decoding ambivalence towards gender inequality in Japan

Research Paper • Deanna Elstrom and Emi Nishiyama, ESOMAR, Asia Pacific, 2019

Lux, a Unilever-owned haircare brand, conducted a quantitative study to ascertain where personal "pain points" are from the perspective of today’s Japanese women.

Hiroshima Tourism: Oyster Kanji Dictation Workbook

Case Study • Yosuke Yamauchi, Shuntaro Taniguchi, Miki Sudo, WARC Awards, Gold and Smart Spender Award, Effective Content Strategy, 2019

Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture created a school workbook to educate citizens about the region's local oysters, increase consumption and make them a local tourism asset.

Sheba: #HypnoCats

Case Study • Kaori Yatsu, Aisha Takashima, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2019

Cat food brand Sheba launched its first digital campaign in Japan to reverse a declining sales trend and outperform the competition.

HP Spectre: Reinvent Stereotypes

Case Study • Kaori Yatsu, Aisha Takashima, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2019

Tech brand HP used a multichannel approach to appeal to working women, spark conversations and boost PC sales in Japan.

Save Soap Project: Washable Book

Case Study • AME Awards, AME Awards, Gold, 2019

Save Soap Project, an initiative by Japanese health and hygiene company ANGFA, used an interactive book product to educate consumers and increase soap sales in Cambodia.

Digital drives up Japanese adspend growth

News • 04 March 2019

Total advertising expenditure in Japan increased 2.2% year-on-year to 6.53 trillion yen (circa $58.9bn) in 2018, the seventh consecutive year of growth, according to the latest figures from Dentsu.

Clear: Making Shampoos an Office Supply

Rankings • WARC Effective 100, 2019

Clear, a shampoo brand, increased sales to men in Japan by promoting its hair-health benefits through businesses.

How eWord of Mouth valences affect price perceptions

Research Paper • Wai Ki Liang and David Corkindale, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 61, No. 1, 2019, pp. 50-63

The influence of electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) on consumers' perceptions of price, allowing for consumers having different price acceptability levels, was examined through nine online experiments.