"I want to star in a movie!" That's a thought nearly everyone has had at one time or another: Our idea tapped into this desire. We built a video monitor system that, if you stood in front of the monitor, dressed you in Kitaro's distinctive hairstyle and clothes. Like a digital cutout, you become a live Kitaro. Right away, a character from the movie calls you: "Hey you, Kitaro!" Then, you're swept into the movie. With Japan's cutting-edge face recognition technology, we commercialized its use in interactive digital signage. Effective outdoor advertising stops and engages people. Our Kitaro ad worked by making people want to stop and join the fun. Even more, by becoming part of the ad, they developed strong sympathy toward Kitaro.

We staged our promotion in Dotonbori, Osaka's liveliest shopping area. During the campaigning period, 500,000 people participated in the promotion. Many of them photographed themselves as Kitaro and e-mailed their pictures and videos to friends or uploaded them to blogs and video sites. The incredible viral effect was multiplied many times over once the promotion received nationwide coverage on television programs, newspapers, and magazines. The movie was a smash hit. The entire campaign, cost the client only 1.5 million yen.