SUB CATEGORY :

USE OF ADAPTED MUSIC

ENTRANT COMPANY :

GEEK PICTURES INC., TOKYO

TITLE :

FRIES BEAT 2024

BRAND :

MCDONALD'S

ADVERTISER :

MCDONALD'S COMPANY (JAPAN), LTD.

AGENCY :

DENTSU INC., TOKYO/WOO INC., TOKYO

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

YUSUKE SATO

ART DIRECTOR :

YUSUKE KOYANAGI/SAKURA HOTTA

COPYWRITER :

YUSUKE SATO

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST :

SHINTARO MURAKAMI

DESIGNER :

KATSUHIRO UTO/TOMOKI ARAKAWA/MARIN YAMADA

PLANNER :

YUSUKE SATO/MASASHI ARAKI

PR PLANNER :

ANNA TATSUNO

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

GEEK PICTURES INC., TOKYO

DIRECTOR :

TAKUMI SHIGA

FILM PRODUCER :

MASAHIRO HAYASAKA/YUKI TANIGUCHI

PRODUCTION MANAGER :

MAI OSHIGE

MUSIC :

KEISUKE TOMINAGA

CHARACTER DESIGN :

ACKY BRIGHT

DESIGN :

TAKUMI SHIGA

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY :

CAVIAR INC., TOKYO/FLUX INC., TOKYO

EDITOR :

TAKUMI SHIGA/YUTA MIYAGI

SPECIAL EFFECTS COMPANY :

FLUX INC., TOKYO/JITTO INC., TOKYO/MORIE INC., TOKYO

CG ANIMATION DIRECTOR :

KOHTA MORIE

CG DIRECTOR :

YUSUKE TAKAHASHI/TAKESHI YOONG/KOTA MORIE

CG SUPERVISOR :

YASUAKI MIYATAKE/KOHEI IWASAKI/TOKIHIKO TSUKAMOTO

CG :

TAKUMI SHIGA

SOUND PRODUCTION COMPANY :

DIGITAL GARDEN INC., TOKYO

MIXER :

YUKO HASHIMOTO

ENGLISH SYNOPSIS :

Set in the near future, this film follows a young aspiring musician who battles against public indifference and harsh online criticism as he shares his music on social media. Each negative comment deepens his self-doubt, visually represented by people around him morphing into demonic figures.

Despite the overwhelming negativity, he finds unlikely allies in three anthropomorphic potatoes— the ""potato brothers."" These characters bring not only comic relief but also steadfast encouragement. Bolstered by their support, the young man harnesses his creativity and overcomes his insecurities.

In a climactic finale, he performs a powerful new song that transforms his critics into supporters and cements his breakthrough in the music industry. The film closes on an uplifting note, intended to inspire young artists to persevere with their creative passions despite the challenges they may face.

ENGLISH CONTEXT EXPLANATION :

This campaign was developed in response to the unique socio-economic landscape of Japan, particularly addressing the challenges faced by its youth. As of 2024, Japan's average age is 48.6 years, with 60% of the population over 40, making it one of the oldest nations globally, second only to Monaco. Additionally, Japan has one of the lowest birth rates worldwide, ranking 215th out of 227 countries. Economically, Japan has been overtaken by Germany in GDP rankings, dropping to fourth globally, and is likely to be surpassed by India soon.

These demographic and economic conditions have fostered a sense of pessimism among Japanese youth, many of whom struggle with low self-confidence and a bleak outlook regarding their future prospects. They often feel that personal success is unattainable due to the country’s stagnating economy and demographic decline.

Our campaign aimed to counter this negativity by leveraging McDonald’s strong connection with the youth.