Koshi Uchiyama, one of Japan’s most awarded creatives, has joined ADFEST 2009 as Jury President for the Cyber Lotus. He is the latest high-profile Jury head recruited by ADFEST, in what has been interpreted as an attempt to counter the debut of the Cannes-affiliated Spikes ASIA next year.
Known for his groundbreaking interactive campaigns, Uchiyama left Dentsu Japan in 1995 to set up GT Inc., for clients such as Coca Cola, Sony, nhn and Uniqlo. He is also co-partner in (suit)men entertainment, whose clients include Nike and Microsoft. He is a two-time winner of the ADFEST Best Cyber Lotus and two Gold Lotus awards, plus three Gold Cannes Lions and two Bronze.
“Without doubt the works introduced through the Cyber Awards will be important in projecting new forms of communication and the future shape of advertisements. I’m looking forward to discovering new talents, encountering work that makes the judges voice a “Wow!” and ideas that awaken a strong sense of envy,” he says.
Uchiyama believes the diversity of the Asia Pacific could lead to breakt-hroughs in digital advertising: “It seems as though the possibilities of expression brought about by today’s technological innovation have mostly been revealed. As such, I feel that the diversity of Asia may provide a breakthrough. The ADFEST tagline “Made in Asia” holds the possibility of becoming a new brand, representing unique, Asian-made ideas, as well as becoming a keyword for us to reconfirm what our strength is.”
Uchiyama is fascinated by the convergence of commerce, entertainment and technology. His ideas are not limited to traditional advertising, but utilize a fusion of art, entertainment and technology. At GT Inc., he produced and directed Sony’s "Connected Identity" project, a design concept that demon-strated how interactive art could be expressed through TV commercials as an extension of mass marketing.
As a result of his experimental and cutting-edge approach, Koshi is one of the most awarded creatives in Japan. To see more of his work, visit http://gtinc.jp/or http://www.suit-men.com/.
