Asia | WARC

Media consumption transformed in North Asia in the time of coronavirus

News • 26 March 2020

The impact of COVID-19 is transforming millions of lives, and also causing a profound and possibly lasting change in the behaviour of business and consumers, a new study predicts.

Hiroshima Tourism: Oyster Kanji Dictation

Rankings • WARC Effective 100, 2020

Hiroshima Prefecture, a local government in Japan, increased oyster consumption by launching a workbook that educated citizens about the food.

Uniqlo shows Japanese brands the global way

News • 12 February 2020

Faced with an ageing and shrinking population, Japanese brands are having to look overseas for future growth – a development that will require a shift in the thinking of marketers.

Does athletes’ performance influence a sponsor’s stock-market value? Assessing the effects of sponsored athletes who represent Japan in international tournaments

Research Paper • Keiya Mori, Tatsuaki Morino, and Fumiko Takeda, Journal of Advertising Research, Digital First, January 2020

This study examines how sponsored athletes' performance affects a sponsor's stock price in 170 sport events between 1991 and 2017, using Japanese data.

Japan’s Aeon and UK’s Ocado team up in grocery push

News • 02 December 2019

Aeon, the largest supermarket group in Japan and one of Asia’s biggest retailers, has joined forces with British online grocer Ocado to develop Aeon’s e-commerce capabilities.

Japanese buyers embrace in-app ads despite quality concerns

News • 29 November 2019

In-app advertising is growing in popularity in Japan, but concerns remain over media quality, according to a new report by PubMatic.

Porsche: #ElectricityTalks – The Porsche Taycan pre-launch

Case Study • Matt Casey, Hannah Walsh, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Porsche increased brand awareness with a wide-reaching campaign ahead of the launch of its first electric vehicle, the Taycan, to create buzz among the 'Driven Youth'.

Hiroshima Oyster: Oyster Kanji Dictation

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Silver, 2019

Hiroshima Oyster, an oyster producer, increased consumption of oysters among Japanese consumers by launching a local language dictation workbook for schools around the topic of oysters.

Morinaga Milk: Calci-Add with Parmesan

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Bronze, 2019

Kraft Parmesan, a cheese brand, increased sales in Japan by launching a video in a hospital lobby and in-store activations to show people the health benefits of the high calcium content in its parmesan.

Reading the tea leaves: Five questions to inspire consumers and brands to create the future

Research Paper • Rumiko Ayusawa, Akiko Hoshi and Haruka Sugino, ESOMAR, Fusion, 2019

Introduces an attempt to co-create a desirable future with consumers and brands through the power of research.

Japanese brands are strong, but lack global impact

News • 08 November 2019

Japanese brands are often associated with quality, giving them a competitive edge, yet their overseas exposure compared to the average of other international markets is letting them down, according to the first ever BrandZ Japan ranking.

How TikTok boosts hashtag challenges in Japan

News • 22 October 2019

Social video sharing platform TikTok believes advertisers can significantly increase ad recall, brand awareness and favourability in Japan by adopting three new marketing drivers which it abbreviates to WTF.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Microsoft Azure: Godzilla Nights

Case Study • Simon Clancy, Yasuhiro Miyamoto, Chang Soo Lee, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2019

Technology company Microsoft wanted to demonstrate Azure's capabilities, so it built the world's largest mixed reality experience and transformed downtown Tokyo into a virtual battlefield.

Thermos: The Beauty of Temperature

Case Study • Irin Ko, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2019

Beverage and food container brand Thermos challenged conventional advertising in Japan by creating authentic branded content to illustrate the importance of the perfect temperature, thereby increasing brand awareness and growing market share.

Cathay Pacific: Rugby Sevens 2019 – 'Nobody does Sevens like Hong Kong'

Case Study • Leon Pat, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2019

Cathay Pacific Airways fused rugby with the culture of Hong Kong to reinvigorate its sponsorship of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.