AWARDS :

GOLD

SUB CATEGORY :

BEST NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH/RE-LAUNCH AT RETAIL

COMPANY ENTERING :

DENTSU INC., TOKYO

ENTRY TITLE :

PASTA NOT APPROVED BY ITALIANS.

BRAND :

CUPNOODLE PASTASTYLE

ADVERTISER :

NISSSIN FOODS HOLDINGS CO.,LTD

AGENCY :

DENTSU INC., TOKYO

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

MASATOSHI KURITA/NORIAKI ONOE/KENTARO SAGARA

COPYWRITER :

MASATOSHI KURITA/NORIAKI ONOE

ART DIRECTOR :

KENTARO SAGARA

RETOUCHER :

YUZO ISODA

DESIGNER :

RIE SUGIMOTO/MIDORI YAMAMOTO/MIHO FUJIMURA/AKANE SATO/
SEIJI MATSUOKA

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :

YUICHIRO SHIMADA

STRATEGIC PLANNING DIRECTOR :

YOSUKE MAMIYA

ACCOUNT PLANNER :

HIROAKI DEHARI

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

NORTHSHORE INC., TOKYO

DIRECTOR :

WAKI ROKUTAN

CINEMATOGRAPHER :

LEONARDO LUTTAZZI

FILM PRODUCER :

ATSUSHI HASHIKURA

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY :

DIGITAL GARDEN INC., TOKYO

COLORIST :

MAX GOLOMIDOV

SOUND PRODUCTION COMPANY :

STYRISM INC., TOKYO

SOUND STUDIO PRODUCER :

KOJI MITO

PRINT PRODUCTION COMPANY :

ADBRAIN INC., TOKYO

THE BRIEF :

LAUNCHING OF CUP NOODLE PASTA STYLE—MAXIMIZATION OF TOPICALITY AND SALES.

THE STRATEGY :

THE CUP NOODLE BRAND IS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF JAPANESE CITIZENS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE IMAGE OF “RAMEN” IS DEEPLY ROOTED, MAKING THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT ONE WHERE NEW PRODUCTS ARE NOT READILY ACKNOWLEDGED. IN ADDITION, JAPANESE PEOPLE PREFER THINGS TO BE “AUTHENTIC,” SO THE METHOD OF FOOD ADVERTISEMENT WHERE THE PRODUCT IS SAID TO BE “APPROVED BY ‘PEOPLE OF A PARTICULAR COUNTRY OR CULTURE’” IS COMMON. THE JAPANESE PEOPLE’S IMAGE OF ITALIANS IS PASTA LOVERS WHO DEMAND AUTHENTICITY. USING THIS IMAGE, WE TURNED IT ON ITS HEAD BY SELLING THE PRODUCT AS “PASTA NOT APPROVED BY ITALIANS.”

THE EXECUTION :

WE WENT TO GRAGNANO, ITALY, THE BIRTHPLACE OF PASTA AND ASKED THE LOCAL PASTA LOVERS TO TRY THE PRODUCT, AND JUDGE, “PASTA? NOT PASTA?” THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT 86% OF THE ITALIANS SURVEYED JUDGED THAT IT WAS NOT PASTA. WE RELEASED THIS DATA OPENLY INSTEAD OF HIDING IT. THE PRODUCT WAS SOLD AS “PASTA NOT APPROVED BY ITALIANS.” THE VIDEO SHOWS THE CAMPAIGN, FROM LAUNCH TO THE PRESENT DAY.

THE RESULT :

ONLY A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THE PRODUCT LAUNCH, WE SUCCEEDED IN MAKING THE PRODUCT A HOT TOPIC WITH 16,000 RETWEETS. THE CLIENT RECEIVED A RUSH OF ADDITIONAL ORDERS FROM DITRIBUTORS AND 10 MILLION PRODUCTS WERE SOLD OUT IN TWO WEEK. THIS PROMOTION WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING OUR CLIENT HAS EVER EXPERIENCED. “PASTA NOT APPROVED BY ITALIANS” HAS FUNCTIONED AS INTENDED.