KIREIMO, Japan’s famous beauty spa, had a girl gang taking over the streets of New York for their new cool ad. We are pleased to have produced this campaign and to have worked with the best creatives and well-known talent in Japan.
KIREIMO is sending out a new message in this ad by showing that there is no shame nor weakness in wanting to make yourself KIREI (beautiful). On the contrary, it is sending out the message that feeling beautiful is empowering. This pink pretty chic ad goes beyond than just turning a city pink. With their tagline “If you change, the world can change too” is a strong message for girls and women that our actions count and the way we think of ourselves can change the world too. The girls wearing hoodie sweaters showing “100% ____ GIRL” is a statement that girls can be 100% whatever they want to be!
The main face for KIREIMO, Naomi Watanabe, is a Japanese actress who is already disrupting stereotypes in Japan. Naomi is also a famous comedian, fashion icon/designer who have captured the hearts of many with her fearless spirit. In other words, she is whatever she wants and believes to be. She is an embodiment of “100% Girl Power”. She’s got the charisma, the strength, the attitude, she is Naomi. We are 100% behind this positive message.
We had the biggest honor and pleasure working with Circus Inc and Dance Not Act on this inspiring project for KIREIMO. It was fun to scout the Blade Runner-inspired locations in New York for the girl gang to walk on, turning the rough streets into a pink-lit Kireimo world. Streets across downtown were shut down, wet down, light up; it was the biggest shoot of that week.
We pride in not only working on the production for this ad but also delivering the U.S. cast for the commercial. Models, skateboarders, baton twirlers, pink Lambo? You name it, we deliver.
CREDITS:
Viewers around the world are compelled by ads that tickle their curiosity. Constant exposure to tons of visual content, audiences are getting smarter and savvier. They are left bored of the usual ad images — cool cars, shiny hair, amazing beers and all things spectacular that have now become the norm. Providing a little bit of glance at the “behind-the-scenes”, playing with the stereotypes of commercials, or personalizing the techniques and brands make the commercial likable, funny, and more importantly, authentic. Such ad campaigns become viral and introduce a new pop culture or memes. They become subjects in conversations that flood social media. We want to share what makes these ad campaigns the favorites amongst millions of viewers. Let’s take a look back and see what made them special.
“Alexa Loses Her Voice”
The first campaign is a funny and gorgeous one by Amazon. Alexa loses her voice in this world — and Amazon executives come up with an idea to solve the problem. Now Hollywood stars such as Gordon Ramsay, Cardi B, Rebel Wilson and Anthony Hopkins try taking over Alexa and — spectacularly fail.
With a lot of cameos and multiple situations, this advertisement stirs up the audiences’ curiosity. The audience start questioning, “who’s coming next?”, “what’s happening next?”. And this fantastical situation makes the audience think – “isn’t it so funny if the machine connects me to these celebrities?” and then, “what if I use Alexa?”. When the viewers start imagining themselves in similar situations using the product the campaign’s goal is achieved.
This is an amusing, clever, meta-commercial. The first image looks like a car commercial– with David Harbour in the driver’s seat of a fancy car. However, the scene transitions and Harbour is now sitting at a bar with his peers – this scene resembles a beer commercial. Then he’s popping out of a clamshell in a white suit. Yes, this Tide commercial mimics many “typical ads” of various products. And then Harbour finally reveals he is, in fact, the pitchman for Tide.
Harbour tells us that all the commercials are “Tide commercials”. How come? Because all the characters are wearing clean clothing.
Thus, this Tide ad makes us unable to avoid connecting every clean clothing to the Tide brand or products. This ad made me want to say “you got me!” but in a pleasant, funny way.
This ad starts with these images of typical hair commercials. Shiny, gorgeous, wavy hair. And they start revealing the crazy tricks by hair brands to make these perfect images. They are actually very disturbing and deceiving. We might even feel upset. However, after showing these extreme hacks, Suave declares that they had a different idea and had their models style their own hair on set. Seeing the Suave models’ happy, relaxed atmosphere, we, the viewers get positive feelings for Suave’s more authentic advertising than those perfect, fake ad images. Authenticity always wins.
This is a staff’s pick. In this simple yet strong ad, children – mostly girls — ask straightforward questions about the prejudice and stereotypes, including “why are almost all superheroes men?” and “why have there been so many male presidents, but so few women?”
When the children ask their honest feelings, we, the audience, feel embarrassed and often ashamed of this world and ourselves, who are taking the gender inequality for granted. Brands who support social and moral advocacies help shape brand perception and the message they stand for.
We introduced four works from this years’ ad campaigns. They are very different but they all value the viewers’ experiences, beliefs and their emotions.
Hideoki Productions is expanding its roots in the world of narrative. Besides producing various visual contents, we also co-ideate the wider storytelling, including the concepts and the viewers’ experiences.
We work together with our clients to help bring their brands more relevant, relatable and often touching.
Last spring we had the pleasure working with avex and the talented artist and AAA member, Shinjiro Atae, for stylish photoshoots and the filming of one of the music videos for his upcoming album: THIS IS WHO I AM, celebrating his 30th birthday. We worked on the music video for one of his ballads called “Baby”. The chilly atmosphere of New York’s subway and the warmth of New York on a spring’s sunrise was perfect for this song. We went to the hotspots of New York for the photoshoots, from funky pop style to cool industrial style.
We spend most of our lives at work. Our workspace is our world. At Hideoki Productions, we recognize workspace as an integral part of our daily life. We want to contribute to a happier world, one space at a time. Hideoki Productions can help bring interior, spatial, culture designers and thought leaders right into your office.
New York is bustling with creativity and is dotted with unconventional workspaces. Big names like Google, We Work, The Mill and many creative companies possess subcultures that positively impact behavior. In the fore front of their philosophy is placing value in workspace design that encourages social interaction, boosts creativity and increases productivity. Idea generation becomes a part of the work culture.
Every so often, Hideoki team takes our clients to visit top creative companies in New York City. Each workplace is nestled in a beautiful space. You walk in and often find high ceilings and beams, designer lighting fixtures and furniture, zany artwork, wooden floor planks, and a space wide and borderless. These creative spaces are often equipped with a refreshment bar, a nook to read, and a ping pong or billiard table. People wear smiles on their faces and are enthusiastic about their work. Undoubtedly, a well-thought off workspace contributes to the companies’ success. Fifteen percent of productivity increase is owed to positive workspace condition.
The dream is to realize a workplace that one can play and let our minds run freely in an open field of our imagination. An inner world that’s fertile brought by an outer world that is nurturing. A space that allows us to create, re-create and have faith in the goodness of people and things around us. More importantly, we want to help shape your workspace to be a place where you can be inspired and do great things together.
Iceland is a place on earth that is out-of-this-world. It is hauntingly beautiful and rare. Bestowed from nature are mesmerizing waterfalls and rivers, glacier lagoons, volcanoes and craters, coastline, fjords and majestic mountains. Most of these wonders are intertwined, it is wild and bewildering. No wonder popular movies like The Last Jedi, The Force Awakens, Bladerunner 2049, Justice League and Thor The Dark World were filmed in this enchanted country.
Against these fabulous nature sceneries is the town of Reykjavik. This is Iceland’s buzzing cultural scene laced with bars, lounges, restaurants, shopping, art, and entertainment. The pretty town is picturesque with charming homes along the coastlines, low rise buildings, and countless more we’re excited to discover with you.
Iceland brings unique experiences because its stunning locations look surreal. With our friends at True North, we are fully equipped to achieve remarkable work together. See their amazing work and their impressive list of clients. Envision your photo shoots, film commercials, music videos and campaigns set in locations like these.
Summer means long, good light for photography and long extended periods of dusk/twilight, and slow sunsets. In the highlands, witness exotic birds, horses, large whales. Coastal main roads are accessible all year round except for intermittent snow delays. Other seasons are breathtaking as well. Let’s explore more together.
We had the pleasure of working with the talented J pop star Nissy this year. In just a week, we delivered three impressive music videos. Our team worked cohesively to make it all happen with quick problem-solving on the spot.
We’re proud of the outcome of our hard work. Watch the recently launched music videos here.
This year, one of ANA’s (All Nippon Airways) campaigns was New York-inspired. The city of dreams is more than the grandiose cityscapes and mesmerizing lights. It’s one place in the world where dreams are made.
No city more apt to reflect the airline’s tag lines –
New York did not fail to deliver exhilarating locations. View our back-to-back stills and video shoots.
See you in the Big Apple!
Hideoki Productions moved next door. The old suite 900 is now 901!
Wrapping up the year with a bigger and brighter office, our new space allows us to serve you even better. Our workspace was designed to welcome creativity, inspiration and positive vibes.
Earlier this year, we have introduced our creative offerings. Our growing partnerships with award-winning production agencies open-up countless ways to create something exciting and meaningful. We’re excited to work on your next story with you, imparting our understanding of the Japanese and western mindsets.
In collaboration with Dentsu and Dentsu Creative X, Inc. Hideoki Productions celebrates the launch of the brand video for JScore.
Japan’s first score-based lending service company, JScore will be making its service debut on September 2017. It’s a first of its kind that offers financial lending based on customers’ credit score using smartphone. JScore is powered by Mizuho Bank’s big data and Softbank’s AI technology. In just 30 minutes, approved loans will be paid straight into consumers’ accounts. A new era of big opportunities begins.
JScore was created with a vision to be an inspiring brand leader that would serve as a catalyst for change. There’s no better brand ambassador to represent big change other than Sputniko! We were pleased to have worked with Sputniko! who is a contemporary artist and an adjunct professor at a leading university in Boston. She was included in the “Ten Most Active Women in Japan Who Shape the Future” in the 2014 Forbes Japan magazine.
Our team at Hideoki Productions worked to ensure that the vision put forth by the teams involved was represented as imagined. From location and talent scouting, completing the set design to client care, we celebrate the launch of a new brand, JScore.
Credits:
Executive Creative Director: Koichi Ito (Dentsu)
Creative Director: Kenichiro Sakaguchi (Dentsu)
Planner: Takuro Hashimoto (Dentsu)
Creative Producer: Shinji Fukushima (Dentsu Creative X)
Producer: Oga Yu (Dentsu Creative X) / Mineo Jin (Dentsu Creative X)
Director: Ito Genki
Camera: Naoki Ishizaka
You see things differently . The ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Satellite Lab offers a new take in the field of imaging technology. The New York-based company invented a patented technology that uses a high-speed cinema camera to suspend a moment of time and light sources moving more than 10,000 feet per second. The unique aspect of this technology is that it creates the ability to control the movement of light sources and the movement of the scene as independent variables.
Take this magical cosmetic test video for example. Witness the light and motion arrested in time, suspended in air as it shows the glimmers of the powder’s finest particles. The cosmetic powder is no longer simply just a powder. A new perspective springs to life.
Satellite Lab combines technology and modern art to a new divine space of marvel. The team behind the company includes co-founder and creative director Carlo Van de Roer. His love for scientific invention and exploration of a camera’s ability to reveal “unseen insights” led him to conceive Satellite Lab’s technology. Alongside is Stuart Rutherford whose expertise in software development helped developed and patented the camera. Stuart has garnered awards for his past work in Japan, New Zealand and the US. Finally, co-founder of Behance (the most popular global creative platform) Matias Corea also serves as a founding partner.
The advancement of photography has come a long way. Photography allows us to experience the phenomenon of arresting time. And it continues to fascinate us as new discoveries unfold. The astonishing work of Satellite Lab makes you ponder what lies beneath our naked eyes. While it’s sensational, it is also spiritual. View their work and let’s talk about possibilities.