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2020 ADC Awards - Advertising

The Hidden Essence

Agency SHA inc. / TOKYO

Client NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
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Annual ID

ADC_ADV20_010B

About the Work

These are promotional posters for a TV show airing on NHK, Japan's public broadcaster. The show interprets Ukiyo-e woodblock prints as photographs documenting the everyday lives of Edo commoners, rather than works of art. 4K ultra HD tech has enabled us to zoom in on even the smallest of details which may have been overlooked until now. This has made it possible to gain more insight into each print. In the poster, a large area of the print is obscured from view, inviting the viewer to come closer and study the details—an experience similar to what the TV show offers. Also, Inkjet technology has made it possible to add texture to the obscured area so the viewer can vaguely make out the details of the print. If you look at the poster in its entirety, you’ll notice that each Ukiyo-e has been cropped into the shape of a Chinese character linked to their respective themes. Our posters have succeeded in incorporating the essence of the TV show which aims to have the viewers realize, by looking at both the details and the entirety of the print, that there is so much more to Ukiyo-e than meets the eye.