KDY 2014: Morihiko Hasebe blends creativity with mathematics
Some of the other speakers on the final day of Kyoorius Designyatra were Mat Heinl, Todd Rovak, Ivan Chermayeff and Ajaz Ahmed
Sarmistha Neogy | Goa | September 15, 2014
The final day, Saturday, September 13, sessions of Kyoorius Designyatra saw audiences in large numbers despite the late night parties the previous evening. Some of the noted speakers on this day were Mat Heinl, Todd Rovak, Ivan Chermayeff, Ajaz Ahmed and Morihiko Hasebe.
Morihiko Hasebe, Executive Creative Director, Hakuhudo, Japan, spoke about 'The future of Advertising'. He began by saying, “In order to look into the future, we must first look into the present. Advertising as a world is an integrated domain with all the wings working closely. Agencies need to evolve and explore possibilities beyond advertising. We expect many changes to take place in future and expertise will become more advanced- it will be called Hybrid Expertise.”
He said that the good part about the Japanese advertising industry is that it is heavily into movie making. This is because Advertising + Movie Making = Investment Business. Hasebe said that the unique feature of any start-up business is that it has got the capability of taking risks. And the Japanese help start-ups experiment with their ideas. He cited the example of B&B-Book and Beer, founded by Hakuhudo Kettle. Drinking beer has always been considered a taboo in the book store business, but it was found that people tend to buy more books after they have beer. Thus, it was a great way to revitalise the suffering industry and make it profitable, proving the point that Culture + Retail = B to C business.
He also brought to light the equation Data Analytics + Sports = Advisory Business. According to him, advertising guys are good at linking big data and they are good at strategies.
He cited another interesting example of 'Rice Code', while explaining how Digital + Agriculture = Reinvention of Agriculture. 'Rice Code' was one of the most awarded campaigns this year from Asia at the Cannes. The need for this campaign came from the insight that the Hakadate Village in Tokyo, which was famous for rice production, was struggling with ageing and declining population. The consumption of rice, thus, got affected not only because of this, but also from the change in the consumption patterns of people here which had got more westernised.
The idea was to make a beautiful landscape with different colours of rice. People can buy the sown rice just by clicking pictures. Beautiful art pictures were created which emerged as the rice grew. The app dealt with the entire transaction scene and, if any user expresses his/her desire to purchase the rice, it was delivered right at their doorstep. This increased the sales and consumption of rice once again in this village.
“The advertising industry loves changes, and, in order to grow, one should embrace change and love it,” he stated. Thus, the conference, which was a hive of creativity, sparked new ideas among the best creative minds from across the globe.
Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder & CEO of Kyoorius, said, “It's exciting to see almost nine months of planning come to fruition. This year, we brought together a group of divergent thinkers to encourage cross-pollination between people from different countries and disciplines. Irrespective of background or professional experience, each delegate left Designyatra thoroughly inspired. At Kyoorius, we hope that delegates will go back looking at their work with fresh eyes and take more chances to step out of their comfort zones.”
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