サントリーオールド | 娘の相手 | 2009
What a Shame - If He'd Been a Jerk, I Could've Punched Him / Suntory Old "Daughter's Boyfriend"
Jun Kunimura says, "I could've punched him, you know." That one line says everything. Before meeting his daughter's boyfriend, the father quietly leaves the room without saying much. When his daughter follows him out, he mutters that single line - and it's packed with so much deep love, resignation, and quiet approval all at once. I was completely won over.
The insight
It just depicts a situation that happens all the time in life, calmly, without making a big deal of it. Do you relate to Jun Kunimura, smiling as he says "What a shame - if he'd been a jerk, I could've punched him"? Or to Ryo Kase, nervous and stiff? Or maybe to Ayumi Ito, who ends up as the supporting character in all this? Even though the situation is something "everyone's seen before," it resonates across every kind of audience.
What happened
It won an ACC Bronze Award and the TV Advertising Award at the 62nd Dentsu Advertising Awards. Made as the third installment in the "Family Bonds" series (2007-2009), it's remembered by fans as the finale of the series.
Afterthought
Casting is everything here. It's remarkable how much gets conveyed through acting alone, without saying much at all - Ryo Kase's awkwardness, Ayumi Ito's smile, and the change in Jun Kunimura's expression. As a drama-style commercial, I take my hat off to the skill of capturing a whole scene from life in just 30 seconds. It makes me think once again: good creative work really does transcend time.
