by Rea Gierran
SUBIC – The creative duo from Hakuhodo Kettle and TBWA\Hakuhodo, Takahiro Hosoda and Kazuaki Hashida, didn’t just leave their audience inspired with their “No Way is the New Way” presentation. They also sent them into fits of laughter as they explained what a “No Way” idea is and how to present them.
The young creatives from Japan said that there exist two types of ideas: “the Like idea” and “the No Way idea.” Coming up with the Like idea starts with questioning yourself for what is possible for the brand, while the No Way idea starts with questioning what is impossible. “Like ideas are easy, you’ll just have to find out what’s possible for the brand and what the clients want, while No Way ideas are challenging because you’ll have to turn something a person hates into something they love,” Hosoda said. The perfect example is Hakuhodo Kettle’s “Eye Play the Piano” campaign where physically challenged kids were given the opportunity to play the piano without using their arms. Halfway through the process, the young boy wanted to give up on the training, but the people behind the project encouraged and supported him to finish. They turned the young boy’s resentment for playing the piano into something he now loves and can truly be proud of.
Hosoda and Hashida acknowledged that it’s hard to get a yes from clients with No Way ideas because the latter stems from all the impossible things a brand can do, so when it’s impossible to explain something in a paper, the best way to expound is via demonstration. Hashida shared how he presented his idea behind the Trend Coaster, the world’s first virtual roller coaster simulator based on internet browsing trends. He did a mock up of the project by making Hosoda sit while he fanned and sprayed him with water, much to the audience’s amusement.
When asked what’s Hosoda’s favorite part in coming up with a No Way idea he said that it’s the crazy ideas he hears from his team. “It takes guts to create and execute a No Way idea, but it also takes that kind of idea to make a difference,” Hosoda concluded.
