Our brief was to develop a design concept and promotional materials for an exhibition of One Show award winning works presented at the Ad Museum Tokyo. The materials included posters to promote visitor attendance, as well as videos, sticker-type questionnaires and venue décor to enhance the exhibition experience itself. Our objective was not only to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the award-winning works, but also to give them a sense of how the power of brand communication can move the world in a positive direction by effectively delivering thought-provoking messages.

Our creative idea was to use roosters as a symbol of the vitality and passion of successful brands. Although some people think it is the sunrise that causes roosters to crow, in fact, they do not crow in response to external stimuli. They crow even when they cannot see the sunrise because they instinctively know a new day will dawn. Successful brands also instinctively anticipate the dawning future. They do not need economic forecasts or market trend datasets to motivate them. Even in the face of uncertainty and adversity, they are instinctively driven to make the world a better place. In our graphics, the red elements coursing through the rooster’s body express the determination of brands to meet the challenges of the unknown future, and the bright red comb and wattles symbolise the powerful life force that drives them forward.

In executing our designs, we chose to depict the moment a rooster begins to crow, when the compulsion to crow reaches its apex. We used a silk-screen process for the bright red comb and wattles to emphasise the passion and inner vitality that drive successful brands to forge their own path to the future. Red elements of slightly varying sizes and thicknesses are also shown flowing through the rooster’s body to express the power and instinctive inner nature of the dynamic forces that move the world forward.

Our posters successfully attracted approximately 20% more visitors to the exhibition, and the thought-provoking nature of our design concept and attractive venue décor encouraged people to linger and spend more time viewing the exhibits than in previous years. Responses to the provided questionnaires also increased, and the opinions expressed revealed visitors’ thoughtful consideration of the role that award-winning creative work plays in brand communication.