Our goal was to make All Nippon Airways (ANA) its customers' most cherished airline. Our campaign would carry children's dreams soaring into the sky and recall the historic 1993 success in which we solicited designs for the specially painted Marine Jumbo jet. Painted to look like a whale, the Marine Jumbo was an eye-catching and instant hit at airports wherever it appeared. Its design, chosen from more than 20,000 entries was created by a 12-year old girl, and her subsequent realization of her dream of becoming a professional designer became the core of our new campaign.

Now, in 2008, ANA is one of the co-sponsors of Asia's largest international hot air balloon meet. We commissioned the Marine Jumbo's designer to design the ANA balloon. She conceived the balloon as an airborne merry-go-round and incorporated the Marine Jumbo into its design. Press coverage of the balloon, presenting ANA as the airline that nurtures dreams, appeared in magazines and newspapers and on TV. Children's messages describing their dreams were posted on the campaign blog, and results included ANA's being ranked No. 1 among all Japanese companies by new jobseekers.

In 2008 ANA was co-sponsor of the SAGA International Balloon Festival, at which the ANA hot air balloon designed by Marine Jumbo designer Yukie Ogaki debuted. Its appearance, featured in the pre-Festival press release, was widely noted. Ogaki's design was praised as unprecedented and having great depth of feeling. Fish, flowers, butterflies, airplanes and pilots' epaulettes representing dreams of travel were printed on 360 nylon panels, which were then sewn together to create the 20-metre tall balloon. Crowds took special pleasure in searching for the Marine Jumbo included among the motifs in this aerial merry-go-round. During demonstration flights and the festival's five days, 940,000 people saw the balloon. Surprises included low-altitude flights, close to city rooftops. Rides in the balloon allowed children to experience the dream of flight. Following the SAGA Festival, additional flights were conducted at festivals and airport events throughout Japan.

The story of the girl who realised her dream received extensive coverage in newspapers and magazines and was reported on all of Japan's TV networks, strengthening ANA's image as a company that nurtures dreams. The fact that 940,000 people attended the events featuring the balloon made the ANA balloon an especially newsworthy item. Numerous bloggers reported being moved by the inclusion of the Marine Jumbo in the balloon's design, seeing its appearance as the realization of the girl's dream. Many wrote that they liked the ANA balloon the best. Messages from children included wishes to fly ANA. Not only was ample evidence provided of increased awareness of ANA. Perception of ANA as a carrier of dreams and warm feelings also became widespread. As a result, ANA reached the highest favourability rating in its history, and ranked No.1 as the company to work for, among new jobseekers.