Spikes Asia

Unconscious Bias

ADK, Tokyo / ADVERTISING COUNCIL JAPAN / 2024

Film
Film
Case Film

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Background

In 2023, Japan's gender gap index ranked 125th out of 146 countries. This is the lowest ever. In Japan, the gender gap is apparent, and some examples are: the percentage of women in management positions in Japanese companies is 14.8%, the percentage of women in the Japanese Diet is 9.9%, and the average difference in time spent on housework and childcare between women and men, is 5 hours and 20 minutes per day. Behind these data lies unconscious bias that men should be a certain way and women should be a certain way.

Execution

Manga is a culture loved by all generations in Japan. Based on the appealing visual technique of manga, the project asks viewers to read lines from speech balloons in their minds while the colors, features, and voices are stripped down to the bare minimum. Was that voice a man or a woman? It makes the viewers aware of gender bias that they may not have realized.

Outcome

The campaign sparked a great deal of controversy: more than 100,000 comments on social networking sites. It was also featured in a program on NHK, Japan's national broadcaster. Furthermore, AC Japan received inquiries from schools, local governments, and companies throughout Japan who wanted to use this commercial as educational material and at seminars on gender bias. The number of such inquiries exceeded 100 in six months.

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