In Japan, the Licca doll has long been an icon for young girls, just as the Barbie doll is in America. However, Licca had lost much of her lustre, mainly because of her traditional image. Our mission was to change the “good wife and wise mother” of yesterday into a more modern trendy young woman living in the 21st century.

How did we do it? We decided to send her off on a world tour, much as a mother bird sometimes pushes her chick out of the nest.

On the day of Licca’s departure, we placed a full-page newspaper ad to let her fans know her itinerary and simultaneously started her blog. She traveled to ten key cities: Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, Nairobi, Shanghai, Kyoto, London and Helsinki. These, in turn, served as inspiration for a new line of Licca products each reflecting local culture, as well as a pop-up storybook that opened up to a dollhouse. In other words, the campaign encompassed not only communication to consumers but also our client’s merchandising strategy.