Halloween night in Shibuya is normally a very entertaining event. But this year, with COVID surging, the City of Shibuya didn't want to lose their fame as the country's biggest stage for Halloween festivities. So they partnered with au (KDDI), a large Japanese telecom, to bring those starving for spooky fun, the biggest Halloween party ever, featuring some of Japan's biggest names in entertainment.

Shibuya, one of Tokyo's most iconic neighborhoods, has been center stage for Halloween party goers in recent years. But COVID all but ruled out gathering in any overcrowded streets in 2020.

The objectives for the two clients for the Halloween holiday were clear: Shibuya City, wanted to become known as Tokyo's most energetic tech hot-spot, a sort of cool Silicon Valley that would attract high-tech youth and companies alike; while au, one of Japan's biggest telecoms, wanted to prove their tech prowess in providing the most forward-thinking online services.

We decided to bring these brands together and combine the asks with a single, mutually beneficial platform solution.

As Halloween approached, the widely enjoyed holiday in Japan couldn't be normally celebrated, not in COVID-stricken 2020. So, instead, the two brands, Shibuya and au, built, block-by-block, a virtual Shibuya City that would hold the largest ever Halloween gathering.

Visitors were able to interact with others by creating their own avatars, which were able to move about and communicate with others on the platform, as they viewed a variety of top-notch Japanese entertainment, turning Shibuya's Virtual Halloween into the talk of the town.

The target was widespread and varied. One primary audience was those, who in any normal year, who would gather in Shibuya for the fun and frolicking that Halloween in Shibuya has become known for over the years. Another target was tech-savvy businesses who make decisions about where they might locate a forward-thinking company.

Another target was the general masses, who make decisions about where to spend their Saturdays (Shibuya!), as well as those making personal telecom decisions based on how they view the major brands: au (KDDI), Softbank, NTT Docomo, etc.

With Halloween at a physical standstill, we had to find a way to meet these two brands' objectives and we thought the best way would be to find a solution within a single strategic direction.

As Halloween approached, we seeded the idea of a virtual Halloween with media outlets across the country. Then during the live event, we encouraged influencers and those in the media to take part, even while on air.

Visitors created their own personalized avatars which walked the streets of Shibuya. There they could attend the live performances—featuring some of Japan's biggest music and tv characters and personalities—while interacting in real-time with friends and acquaintances attending, creating an entirely new way to experience entertainment.

Shibuya's Virtual Halloween was an online event easily accessible through a number of au and Shibuya websites and social accounts, as well as through the campaign hashtag: #stayvirtual.

Over 400,00 attended Shibuya's Virtual Halloween, with visitors coming from all across Japan. This is many times the number of visitors who had come to the physical Shibuya Halloween event the previous year.

In addition, the earned media garnered for the event was more than 10 times what clients had aimed for, with over US$20MM in media exposure value, getting not just mentions on Japan's TV networks, such as NHK, but also garnering live walking tours through the virtual event with media hosts—and their avatars—as talking guides on Japan's biggest news and variety programming.

Overall, Shibuya's Virtual Halloween was such a success that it became a huge topic of conversation; and while doing so, has provided everyone with hints of what the future of events and entertainment may hold in store.