The majority of Japanese smartphone users (age 18+) own iPhones. So for Apple, upgraders are key business drivers. But here’s the challenge: Most users are content with their older models. What’s the secret for them to upgrade? Camera is the killer trigger.

The objective: Reignite excitement for iPhone 15 by raising awareness of the new state-of-the-art camera system, and show users what they can achieve in a “holy shit that was shot on iPhone” way

Based on the following insights:

•60M Japanese are manga fans

•20M Japanese are film fans

•Huge additional fandom for Japanese music and celebrities

The creative idea was to launch “Midnight” not as an ad but as the latest and greatest manga-to-live-action adaptation. And fuel the blockbuster launch by taking advantage of Japanese fandom, with contextual creativity and contextual placements.

Bringing the ‘God of Manga’ Osamu Tezuka together with one of the most important Japanese directors, Takashi Miike, and having national superstar Kento Kaku represent the iconic taxi driver from “Midnight”, deeply resonated with both fan communities. On top of this, making iPhone 15 Pro part of this trifecta created surprise and delight.

Basing promotion on Tokyo’s central areas where the story takes place, and hyper-relevant locations like taxi screens plus movie theaters, strengthened the core of the concept and became another topic of organic media expansion around “Midnight”.

This campaign was designed to target iPhone users (18+) who don’t own the latests models; those who are content with older models and less likely to react to traditional advertising.

With the launch of “Midnight” as a blockbuster taking center stage of the media planning, the approach that followed was built to prove that the new camera features are worth the upgrade.

Strategy was based on three vectors:

1. Eventize the launch with maximum reach. Bring the premier event into news headlines, and position “Midnight” as a must-see blockbuster. Plus dominate with impactful takeovers on Yahoo and LINE, where our audience go everyday.

2. Ignite manga and movie fan’s interest by tapping into their cultural fandoms. (Tapping into digital manga Apps, developing new digital placement in largest movie theater chain AEON CINEMA’s websites).

3. Motivate iPhone owners to upgrade with a behind the scenes that capitalizes on excitement and curiosity.

Launching “Midnight” as the blockbuster it truly is, was the first step of the media execution.

The build-up of the implementation included:

•Dominating the video viewing journey (Secured all of digital video platform)

•Broadcast the entire film on one of the biggest Japanese online TV platforms - Abema TV

•Broadcast the entire film on actual Taxis, at midnight, all over Tokyo

•Developed takeover digital placement in largest movie theater chain AEON CINEMA

•Nationwide film posters at AEON CINEMA

•Take over, with giant OOH and digital OOH, of Shibuya and Shinjuku, locations represented in the film

•Exclusive partnership with famous “Weekly Champion Magazine”, the same print magazine where “Midnight” was originally published in 1986

•Film trailers on mainstream TV channels

•From the 6th of March to the 3rd of April, all media executions contributed to the blockbuster experience and each touch point became a stunning iPhone 15 demo.

The blockbuster launch of “Midnight” paid off with a blockbuster outcome.

• Some of the highlights include:

• 50M+ total views

• 32.5M views for main film (YT, Apple TV, apple.com, Abema TV and taxi screens )

• 18.4M views for BTS (Largest view ever for any behind-the-scenes film)

• 6.5M traffic to website (includes Apple.com + YT main film)

• Over 57K organic mentions

• Over 650 articles reaching 6.2B people around the world

• $51.7M earned media

• Doubled iPhone 15 purchase intent

• Sold out session premier at Apple Store in the presence of director and DOP

The film achieved unprecedented results, becoming Apple’s most viewed, talked, loved and shared campaign in Japan ever.