SUB CATEGORY :

FINANCE & REAL ESTATE

COMPANY ENTERING :

HAKUHODO KETTLE INC., TOKYO

TITLE :

MARATHON WITH NO START LINE

BRAND :

TOMOSNOTE

ADVERTISER :

AFLAC

AGENCY :

HAKUHODO KETTLE INC., TOKYO

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

SHOTA HATANAKA

ART DIRECTOR :

KOGA SHIMURA

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE :

ICHIRO TAMURA

PLANNER :

SHINYA OTA

MEDIA AGENCY :

HAKUHODO DY MEDIA PARTNERS, TOKYO

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

AOI PRO. INC., TOKYO

DIRECTOR :

RYO OTA

FILM PRODUCER :

MANA HISAMATSU/HIROTO HASHIMOTO

COORDINATOR :

HAJIME NAKAGAKI

PROJECT MANAGER :

KAZUKI NAKANISHI

CASTING :

CHIKA MOGI

STYLIST :

AYUKO TAKAGI

HAIR & MAKE UP :

EITO FURUKUBO

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY :

IMAGICA LAB.INC, TOKYO

EDITOR :

NORIHIKO MAEDA/YOHEI TAKAGI/JOJI KITA

COLORIST :

AYAKO OSUMI

SOUND PRODUCTION COMPANY :

ONGAKUSHITSU INC., TOKYO

SOUND STUDIO PRODUCER :

SETSU FUKUSHIMA

ENGLISH SYNOPSIS :

THIS IS A STORY OF CANCER PATIENTS AWAITING THEIR TREATMENT, WHERE THEIR EMOTIONS ARE ILLUSTRATED AS A MARATHON THAT SUDDENLY BEGINS WITH NO START LINE. WOMEN IN DIFFERENT PLACES SUDDENLY RECEIVE A MARATHON BIB ALONG WITH THEIR MEDICAL EXAMINATION RESULTS. (THE FIGURES ON THEIR BIB SHOW THE YEARLY NUMBER OF NEW CANCER PATIENTS IN JAPAN) THEY HEAR A START PISTOL BEING FIRED, AND HEAD OUTSIDE WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE TO GO.
THE WOMEN RUNNING IN EMPTY ROADS DEPICT THE LONELINESS OF NOBODY UNDERSTANDING THEIR PAIN. BUT AS THEY KEEP RUNNING, THEY ENCOUNTER OTHER RUNNERS AND REALIZE THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES FIGHTING CANCER. THEY ALSO SEE THEIR FAMILIES, DOCTORS, FRIENDS SUPPORTING THEM FROM THE ROADSIDE. THIS LEADS TO THE MESSAGE FROM “TOMOSNOTE” (AFLAC’S SUPPORTING COMMUNITY FOR CANCER PATIENTS) THAT CANCER TREATMENT IS NOT A LONELY PATH
AND SHOULD BE OVERCOME TOGETHER WITH ONE’S FAMILY AND THOSE IN THE SAME SITUATION.

ENGLISH CONTEXT EXPLANATION :

EVERY 1 IN 2 PEOPLE HAVE THE CHANCE OF GETTING CANCER, AND IT IS NOW THE TOP CAUSE OF DEATH IN JAPAN. ACCORDING TO RESEARCH BY NATIONAL CANCER CENTER JAPAN, 75% OF CANCER PATIENTS FEEL THAT CANCER TREATMENT IS A VERY LONELY PATH AND SUFFER FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS. AFLAC, A CANCER INSURANCE COMPANY TOOK NOTICE OF THIS SITUATION AND DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED “TOMOSNOTE”, A COMMUNITY SUPPORTING CANCER PATIENTS IN SEPTEMBER 2018. THIS PLATFORM ALLOWS PATIENTS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM THE LONELINESS TO CONNECT AND SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE TO RELIEVE THEIR TROUBLES AND WORRIES OF CANCER TREATMENT.