Onitsuka Tiger: TANSU SHOE

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Integrated Media

Advertiser: ONITSUKA TIGER

Product/Service: TANSU FOOTWEAR

Agency: AMSTERDAM WORLDWIDE

Date of First Appearance: Feb 1 2010 12:00AM

Entrant Company: AMSTERDAM WORLDWIDE, THE NETHERLANDS

Entry URL: http://www.onitsukatiger.com

Executive Art Director: Richard Gorodecky (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Creative Director: Andrew Watson (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Copywriter: Dan Goransson (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Art Director: Rickard Engstorm (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Tansu Sneaker Artisans: (Ogura Tansu Ten)

Online developers: (InLoveWith)

Photographer: Michel Dubois (Orchard Represents)

Stop Motion Photography: Bill Tanaka

Replica Model Makers: (Noch Display)

Planning Director: Jonathan Fletcher (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Planner: Ben Jaffe (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Producer: Samantha Koch (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Business Development Director: Nicolette Lazarus (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Account Director: Paula Ferrai (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Account Manager: Romain Lauby (Amsterdam Worldwide)

Communications Manager: Sandra Koopmans (ASICS Europe BV)

Media placement: Print - Code Magazine, Dazed&Confused, 200 Magazine - 1 February 2010

Media placement: Website - Www.onitsukatiger.com - 1 February 2010

Media placement: Banners - Various UK Websites - 1 February 2010

Media placement: Point-Of-Sale - Onitsuka Tiger Stores (Globally) - 1 February



Results and Effectiveness

Each element of the integrated campaign, from the sneaker’s global tour to editorial features and blogger outreach activities, helped in successfully driving people online to discover more about the brand.

Unique visits to onitsukatiger.com grew 125%, while total traffic saw a massive increase (460%). Interest in the collection went up 20%, direct traffic (WOM) increased 40%, referral traffic jumped 152%.

The story of the wooden sneaker spread around the world, appearing in thousands of blogs, tweets and magazines, showing that sometimes, to build something beautiful, even in a virtual world, you need the tools of a traditional craftsman.



Creative Execution

Tansu was one of Japan’s first exports and it embodies Japanese craftsmanship, so the Tansu-inspired sneaker was perfect for bringing ‘Made of Japan’ strategy to life. The characteristic compartments made the sneaker a delivery device for the stories we wanted to tell.

In flagship stores and trade fairs worldwide, the shoe intrigued sneaker fans with branded content, secret compartments, and exclusive prizes.

Online, over 1,200 stills created a fully interactive ‘virtual sneaker’, revealing new collections, films, and surprise content.

Intriguing packages with keys were sent to influential bloggers, allowing them exclusive access to certain compartments. This generated a global buzz as they shared their discoveries online.

The story of the Tansu sneaker appeared in sports, fashion, design publications, generating PR worth 100,000. Instore, Tansu-themed collateral, including scale-models, limited-edition wooden business-card holders, shopping bags and ornate wrapping paper, brought the campaign to life in finely crafted style.



Insights, Strategy & the Idea

Since 2007, we’ve established Onitsuka Tiger through our ‘Made of Japan’ brand strategy, promoting their unique Japanese heritage and authentic credentials.

Tasked with generating buzz, broadening appeal, and increasing product consideration, we sought to engage with fashion-conscious sneaker fans that wish to stand out. They are media-savvy, cynical, and crave ‘authenticity’ and ‘craftsmanship’.

With a limited budget, outsmarting big-spend opposition was vital. To stand out against multimillion-dollar CGI and augmented reality campaigns, we needed to create something different. Something that was truly real.

Searching through 400 years of history, we uncovered the art of Tansu: traditional Japanese cabinetry. Re-interpreting this ancient craft for a new generation would allows us to create a multi-media campaign with a real, tangible centre. Something that would stand out in the digital noise, and meet our target audience’s need for ‘authenticity’.