Category: Entertainment & Leisure
Advertiser: MATCH.COM JAPAN
Product/Service: MATCH.COM
Agency: HAKUHODO KETTLE
Creative Director: Kazuaki Hashida (Hakuhodo Kettle)
Copywriter: Takeharu Yoshioka (Hakuhodo)
Agency Producer: Toshi Morikawa (Hakuhodo Kettle)
Agency Producer: Mie Kanai (Hakuhodo)
Agency Producer: Shigechika Muto (Hakuhodo)
Agency Producer: Hiroshi Karino (Hakuhodo Products)
Planner: Jay Metah
Planner: Sayaka Sakata (Hakuhodo Kettle)
Director: Takuya Sasaya
Producer: Yuji Ojima (Hakuhodo Products)
Camera: Senzo Ueno
Camera: Masashi Asaoka
Camera: Tetsuya Kondo
Casting: Shu Oshimi
Casting: Mari Tsuneta
Web Director: Yuki Noguchi
Web Art Director: Ryuma Sato
Web Designer: Kumiko Kato
Photographer: Hiroomi Nakamura
Media placement: Website - Campaign Site - 23 June 2011
Media placement: Cinema Ad - Toho Cinemas - 23 June 2011
Media placement: Train Ad - Marunouchi Line - 23 June 2011
Media placement: Banner Ad - Yahoo! Japan - 23 June 2011
Describe the objective of the promotion.
To acquire awareness, recruit members, and improve the image of match.com in Japan, in a very restricted environment.
Match.com is the world's No.1 online matchmaking service, but still has very low awareness in Japan. One of the biggest reasons is that online matchmaking services are considered to be malicious.
The crimes related to online matchmaking services are often committed in Japan. The news has a category called 'online-dating-services-criminal'. Therefore, there are strict advertising regulations to limit the executions of its marketing activities. TV companies won't allow match.com to advertise, neither would newspapers nor magazines.
Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation.
We launched 'Takumi Match Project'. 'Takumi' are traditional Japanese artisans and performers. They wish to get married but hardly have the time and opportunity to meet new people. So we supported artisans in hunting for a spouse.
Actually, 5 single Takumi were selected and we provided them with match.com accounts to support them to find a lifelong partner. We created promotion videos for each of them and published the videos online, on trains and in movie theatres. People who were interested in an artisan could get in touch with him or her thorough their match.com account.
Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service.
We found that the real value of matching is 'succession'. If Japanese artisans cannot get married, it means that Japanese traditional technique and culture will be in danger of extinction. We supported them as part of a social issue, to protect their traditional Japanese culture from extinction. So this theme is very relevant for Japanese people.
Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results.
Registration of match.com increased by 13% (vs last year). The consumer survey resulted with the image of 'earnest' up 16 points, with the image of 'malicious' dropping 12 points. One of the largest publishing companies which didn’t allow match.com to advertise covered a story about match.com. Finally, one of the five Takumi got engaged through this project. This news improved the image of match.com much more.