These days, even my grandfather in his nineties no longer reads newspapers, so it was quite surprising to discover that Itochu Corporation, one of Japan's five major trading companies, is still placing newspaper advertisements.
However, after seeing them, you might wonder: Are the newspapers begging them to place these ads? Ads this beautiful should boost newspaper sales, shouldn't they?
What makes it even more special is that, unlike the traditional approach of running the same ad across multiple newspapers, Itochu Corporation's 2023 New Year advertisement was placed in all five major Japanese newspapers, each with its own unique copy and visuals. Collect all five newspapers, and you will be rewarded with a warm and heartening day.
Let's take a look.
*The Nikkei*: Good Morning 2023
The early-rising dog barks, eager for a walk
Turning on the stove, the air in the room feels as if it might melt
From the kitchen comes the pleasant sound of chopping vegetables on a cutting board
Life begins anew
In every comfortable day
We aim to simultaneously address environmental pollution and food waste
We will continue to bring business closer to your daily life
Life · Love · Business
Dear Life Itochu Corporation
*The Asahi Shimbun*: I'm Off 2023
Thanks to remote work
I can see the children off at the door
From your light footsteps, we can sense your mood
New ways of working have become the norm
Life begins anew
In every comfortable day
We want to think about the challenges facing this planet
We will continue to bring business closer to your daily life
Life · Love · Business
Dear Life Itochu Corporation
*The Mainichi*: Welcome Back 2023
Entering the room, I quickly turn on the heater
Washing hands with warm water brings back feeling
The worn-in loungewear feels soothing
To lower the heater by one degree, I put on an extra jacket
Life begins anew
In every comfortable day
We want to think about the challenges facing this planet
We will continue to bring business closer to your daily life
Life · Love · Business
Dear Life Itochu Corporation
*The Yomiuri Shimbun*: Let's Eat 2023
Freshly cooked, glossy white rice
A hearty, steaming hot miso soup
The greedy dog under the dining table
The leftover vegetables from year-end awaken from their rice bran pickling
Life begins anew
In every comfortable day
We want to think about the challenges facing this planet
We will continue to bring business closer to your daily life
Life · Love · Business
Dear Life Itochu Corporation
*The Sankei Shimbun*: Good Night 2023
Steaming hot bathwater
Soft, fluffy white towels
Freshly washed pajamas
Slip into a futon warmed by a hot water bottle
Life begins anew
In every comfortable day
We want to think about the challenges facing this planet
We will continue to bring business closer to your daily life
Life · Love · Business
Dear Life Itochu Corporation
Finally, this series of advertisements is the second phase of Itochu Corporation's Dear LIFE “Life · Love · Business” campaign, launched in the summer of 2022, illustrated by artist Kiichi Ando.
Notably, the greetings in each illustration are written in English rather than Japanese hiragana or katakana. Koichiro Toda, one of the creative leads, explained that they wanted each greeting to become part of the artwork. Considering that the newspapers would be delivered to people on the first workday of the new year, using Japanese would have limited the greetings to merely functional expressions. However, the brand aimed to offer these “wishes” as gifts, so they chose English lettering to visually convey that sentiment.
BY TOPYS
