Communications campaigns undertaken by Dentsu Public Relations Inc. addressing contemporary issues have won prizes in this year’s PR Award Grand Prix, an annual event organized by the Public Relations Society of Japan (PRSJ) to celebrate the year’s most successful campaigns.
Dentsu Public Relations Inc. won top prize for its “Nameless Chores” campaign undertaken for Daiwa House Industry in conjunction with Dentsu Inc., which explored how home design might encourage the sharing of household duties.
Another campaign implemented by Dentsu Public Relations Inc. for publisher Iwanami Shoten, named “The Dictionary Restoration Project” and promoting the paper-based Kojien dictionary, was recognized with a bronze award in the Marketing Communications category.
“These two campaigns addressed challenging contemporary issues, namely gender inequality and the increasing digitalization of information. I’m delighted we could show that well-executed communications campaigns remain a powerful force to guide public opinion,” said Dentsu Public Relations Inc. president and CEO, Kazunori Azeyanagi.
This year’s award marked the 6th occasion that Dentsu Public Relations Inc. has won the Overall Grand Prix for one of its campaigns since 2003.
The annual PR Award Grand Prix, held by the PRSJ since 2001 to promote vitality in the domestic PR field, gives recognition to the year’s outstanding campaigns. The 2018 winners were selected from a field of 62 entries across five categories: Corporate Communications, Marketing Communications, Internal Communications, Social Communications, and Surveys/Research.
The prizes were presented at a ceremony in Tokyo on December 11.
Winning Campaigns
Nameless Chores (Overall Grand Prix)
Client: Daiwa House Industry
In cooperation with: Dentsu Inc.
Award category: Social Communications
Campaign overview: Though Japan ranks among the world’s leading economies, much progress remains to be made in the field of gender equality. One aspect of this is housework inequality, which has a profound, but often-overlooked impact on countless women and households, and even the national economy. This campaign saw Daiwa House Industry, one of Japan’s leading house builders, address this situation through a combination of ingenious home design and a targeted campaign combining surveys, online content, and offline events. The initiative stimulated a nationwide conversation, drawing attention to what one Japanese NPO has termed na mo naki kaji, or “nameless chores.”
The Dictionary Restoration Project (Bronze)
Client: Iwanami Shoten, Publishers
Award category: Marketing Communications
Campaign overview: These days, paper dictionaries are often perceived as old-fashioned and cumbersome, as most people now turn to their smartphone for answers. This perception was of great concern to Iwanami Shoten, Publishers, ahead of publishing the seventh edition of its authoritative Kojien Japanese dictionary. Timed to coincide with Kojien’s release, the campaign aimed to redefine paper dictionaries as contemporary drivers of rich language and culture, as well as trustworthy sources amid today’s information overload. The project targeted readers, bookstores and influencers, providing opportunities to rediscover the value of paper dictionaries, and successfully leveraged cultural and social insights to help Iwanami achieve its sales target of 200,000 copies.
About Public Relations Society of Japan
Chartered in 1988, the Public Relations Society of Japan (PRSJ) is comprised of individuals and companies who are committed to the field of public relations, seek to further PR in Japan, and strive to enhance their own skills. PRSJ’s activities include sharing knowledge and methods as well as educating PR professionals through regular seminars and newsletters. The society also organizes the PR Planner certification program, Japan’s only professional examination for PR practitioners.
About Dentsu Public Relations Inc.
Since its founding in 1961, Dentsu Public Relations Inc. has served as strategic partner to a diverse range of companies, governmental bodies and other organizations. Over 270 employees provide clients with comprehensive reputation management solutions, creating new value and building advocacy through approaches including data analysis, insight-driven content design, and targeted information delivery. Dentsu Public Relations Inc. was recognized by the Holmes Report as Japan Consultancy of the Year in both 2009 and 2015, and as North Asia PR Consultancy of the Year in 2018.