Nike Japan says don’t hold back your ambition in new Japanese market push via W+K Tokyo
Nike Japan has launched a new advertising campaign called “#Minohodoshirazu”, that translates to “Don’t know your place”. The 60-second TV spot and digital media content, created by Wieden + Kenedy Tokyo, went live today. Prior to the full-launch, the campaign out-of-home advertising started on August 1 around Tokyo.
The phrase “Minohodoshirazu” is typically used as an insult directed at people who are seen as overly ambitious. However, Nike believes that “not knowing your place” and not placing limits on yourself, is an ideal mindset for athletes. By combining the idea of “Minohodoshirazu” with “Japanese athletes challenging their limits,” Nike wanted to give the phrase a surprising, positive meaning.
Wieden + Kenedy Tokyo hope to inspire Japanese youth with Nike’s “Just Do It” spirit by giving them an opportunity to reevaluate and redefine the phrase “Minohodoshirazu.”
The TV spot opens with young voices from a traditional “morning meeting.” The voice over goes on to state various limits that society and educational environments have influenced and imposed over the years. The visuals show a stark contrast to the voice over, portraying young athletes aggressively challenging and breaking their limits.
Wieden + Kenedy Tokyo will also use digital media to engage their audience and let them redefine “Minohodoshirazu” in a positive context. For example, we are using conversational advertising on Twitter where users can personalize and tag their message with hashtag #Minohodoshirazu.
The campaign features four athletes embodying the “Minohodoshirazu” mindset – Koharu Sugawara (dancer), Nozomi Musembi Takamatsu (mid-long distance runner), Tomoya Ochiai (professional basketball player), and Ryotaro Ito (professional soccer player). Out-of-home ads featuring these athletes are placed around the city, in Harajuku, Omotesando and Shibuya. W+K also have complied their real “Minohodoshirazu Stories” based on interviews, at NIKE.COM.