LOTUS :

LOTUS ROOTS

CATEGORY :

OUTDOOR LOTUS

COMPANY ENTERING :

MATERIAL, TOKYO

TITLE :

INVISIBLE ZONE

BRAND :

ZONE ENERGY

ADVERTISER :

ZONE ENERGY

AGENCY :

DENTSU INC., TOKYO

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

RYOHEI NAGAOKA/KYOKO KITA

ART DIRECTOR :

MIDORI MANDA

COPYWRITER :

KYOKO KITA/TARO KIMURA

DESIGNER :

KEITA ASAOKA

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :

TETSU MURAMOTO/KOICHIRO ABE/SHOHEI MATSUYAMA

PLANNER :

TARO KIMURA

MEDIA AGENCY :

DENTSU AD-GEAR INC., TOKYO

MEDIA PLANNING MANAGER :

TAKETO IWAMA/HARUKA FUJII

PR AGENCY :

MATERIAL INC., TOKYO

PR DIRECTOR :

YUSUKE SHIMADA/HIROKI WADA

MEDIA RELATIONS :

RENA KAGAYA/HARUKI MACHIYAMA

INFLUENCER RELATIONS :

MIHO YOKOSAWA

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

DENTSU CREATIVE X INC., TOKYO/DENTSU CRAFT TOKYO, TOKYO

DIRECTOR :

SHOTA TANAKA

CAMERAMAN :

KATSUTOSHI SAWACHIKA

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :

KIKUKO ANDO/RYOTARO OMORI

PRODUCTION MANAGER :

SOTA SUZUKI

FRONT-END ENGINEER :

KYOHEI YAMANO

WEB DIRECTOR :

KEI SATO

WEB DESIGNER :

KENICHIRO TANAKA

MOTION GRAPHICS DESIGNER :

EIKI KUROKAWA

CULTURAL CONTEXT EXPLANATION :

Many students in Japan use “red sheets” as a study aid, which are sheets of red plastic. Using the fact that red sheets hide red text but darken green text, students use red pens or green markers to write keywords, and use red sheets to hide them and test their memory.

Unlike Western countries where universities consider essays, interviews, and past grades in addition to entrance exam scores, in Japan, the written test score is the biggest deciding factor whether a person will get into university. Entrance exams are held only once a year, with no make-up exams.

Japanese students live under the constant pressure of studying for these exams. The pressure is so high that they study even on way to and from school, often with the help of “red sheets.”

ENGLISH CONTEXT EXPLANATION :

ENERGY DRINK, ZONE ENERGY, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS PREPPING FOR THEIR ENTRANCE EXAMS. SO WE PLANNED A SURPRISE FOR THEM, TO GIVE THEM SOME ENCOURAGEMENT.

WE CREATED INTERACTIVE ADS WHERE DIGITAL SCREENS THAT APPEAR BROKEN REVEAL HIDDEN BRANDED MESSAGES WHEN LOOKED AT THROUGH RED SHEETS. “THERE IS AN INVISIBLE ZONE THAT CAN BE SEEN ONLY BY THOSE WHO NEVER GIVE UP.” — WITH THIS CONCEPT IN MIND WE MADE OUR MESSAGE SOMETHING THAT COULDN’T BE SEEN BY JUST ANYONE, BUT ONLY BY STUDENTS WHO NEVER GIVE UP, STUDYING EVEN ON THEIR WAY TO AND FROM SCHOOL.

ABOUT ONE MONTH BEFORE THE EXAMS, THESE “GLITCHY” DIGITAL DISPLAYS TOOK OVER SHIBUYA AND IKEBUKURO TRAIN STATIONS, AREAS DENSE WITH SCHOOL ROUTES.

THIS DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN WENT INSTANTLY VIRAL. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT WENT DIRECTLY TO ALL THE HARD-WORKING STUDENTS.