"ASPIRATION & PERSPIRATION" is a visual concept created for the 2018 Dentsu Advertising Awards, which are Japan's oldest advertising awards.While this heritage has earned the awards a place of respect in Japan's advertising canon, it causes many to think of them as old-fashioned and out of date. Our challenge was to address this dichotomy with a design that respected the historical stature of the awards, but presented them in a fresh new light.

Rice is a challenging crop to grow, particularly in mountainous Japan, where summers are hot and typhoons are common. Working from this insight, we chose rice planting as a culturally relevant design motif to represent the challenges faced by Japanese advertisers striving to succeed in a difficult business environment. By showing rice being planted in a variety of unusual patterns, we reflect the innovative strategies that advertisers employ to reap the "harvest" of business success.

Our execution depicts strategies for rice planting. Tiny rice seedlings symbolize the aspirations of Japanese advertisers for growth. By "planting" them in a variety of different patterns, we reflect the innovative strategies that advertisers use to grow. To heighten visual interest and emphasize the underlying symbolism, we rendered the seedlings in brilliant, fluorescent green using silk-screen printing to make the color pop.

Working together, the posters and book dispelled the timeworn image of the Dentsu Advertising Awards as a relic of the past, giving them a vibrant and aspirational new look that evokes a bountiful future.