JR東日本 | 北海道新幹線開業 | 2016
Is it okay if I go chase my dreams? / JR East Hokkaido Shinkansen "Dancing Boy: For Real!?"
I caught this 30-second spot on TV after a long while of not watching, and it made me go "oh!" For a boy, the shinkansen coming to his town is super big news—he can't just sit still, and before he knows it, his body is already moving. That's the feeling this ad captures.
The insight
If a kid asked you, "Is it okay if I go chase my dreams?", you'd naturally want to say "Go for it, go for it!" The ad cleverly uses that emotional reaction to get you cheering for the Hokkaido Shinkansen too. It makes you want to root for it.
The idea
Honestly, there might not be a strong reason it has to be dance specifically, but thinking about it again, dance really is a great way to express that feeling of not being able to sit still. There's a kind of momentum here—when you're thinking "I want to go see it, I want to ride it," your body just starts moving.
Afterthought
There's also a 60-second version, but to me it feels a bit too long—the 30-second version seems to capture that "moment" of excitement better. It might not be the same level of excitement as the Kyushu Shinkansen ad, but from this boy's point of view, it's definitely one of the biggest events of his life.
