Challenge:After the March earthquake and tsunami, companies and individuals in Japan undertook numerous 'actions for reconstruction'. No-one knows when or where a similar disaster might happen next. We saw that passing on our knowledge of the ways in which communication can be used in times of disaster as a mission of the advertising agencies, in a Japan ravaged by disaster. This is how 2 rival Japanese agencies came together to start a joint-project.Idea:After the earthquake and tsunami, saving lives and/or First Aid was the top priority. But information, encouragement, volunteers, donations and other communication-related activities were needed soon after. We called these 'Second Aid'. We created decks of playing cards and number-placing puzzle-cards showcasing 52 disaster-relief initiatives. We thought that card games were the best tool for teaching disaster-preparedness in a fun way.Result:We distributed the 2 card-games to 1,500 top executives of major Asian advertising agencies, media-companies, production-houses and clients attending AdAsia 2011 last November. This enabled us to give around 900 major communication companies in Asia second aid, that they can use in case of a disaster - with our sincere hope that they never need to use the cards, except for entertainment purposes.

At AdAsia New Delhi in November last year, we distributed the 2 card games to around 1,500 top executives of major Asian ad agencies, media companies, production houses and clients.

We gave around 900 major communication companies in Asia 'Second Aid' cards they can use in case of disaster.

In addition to simply saying 'Thank you', we could give special thanks to those outside Japan by introducing many of the disaster relief initiatives undertaken through communication, including advertising from all over Japan.The joint-release of the cards by 2 agencies made our message so much more memorable to the executives in major communication companies.