Aomori city, located in the northern Tohoku area of Japan is very well known for its fisheries-industry. The previous Japanese Women’s National Curling Olympic Team based in Aomori had made a request to refurbish their team uniform. Having achieved a challenging task of 'Uniting 1,360,000 people of Aomori', we had also managed people in Aomori to share the feelings for the victory by having the tairyo-bata (the message of victory and the pride of Aomori, well known for its fisheries industry) as their concept in order to get back the pride as well as the vibrant spirit of Aomori, which was suffering from a lifetime disaster.

This whole movement had led 1,360,000 people in Aomori to unite as 1 team, 'Team-Aomori'.

We believe that this entry is appropriate to PR Lions as this whole campaign meant so much to Aomori, as people in Aomori have been devastated since Team Aomori had to give away its position as a representative of Japanese national curling team that they had secured for 8 years. The key PR element of the campaign was the unity of 1,360,000 people, the Aomori people, by sharing the feeling for victory through the concept of using tairyo-bata.

During 9th February to 14th February 2012, the uniform for Team Aomori that used the tairyo-bata was made to coincide with the Japan Curling Championships. In total of over 150 flags had been donated by the fishery harbors all around Aomori. During January of 2012, the remaining tairyo-bata were used to make cheering items such as flags and gloves; these items were made by the people of Aomori, voluntary. Places including Aomori Airport, Aomori Train Station, New Aomori Train Station, Aomori city hall as well as outdoor media and the curling competition venues were decorated with these cheering items. The campaign ran as we have planned along with our original schedule.

The result was that people heard about this campaign, which utilises tairyo-bata, through the mass media along with the outdoor media and the activities, gathered around to produce cheering items such as flags and gloves. In order for people in Aomori who were suffering from the disaster of a lifetime to get their pride and their vibrant spirit of the town back, 1,360,000 people, all of the people of Aomori had united as 1 team, 'Team Aomori'.