銀のさら | 秘密篇 | 2016
All-In on Behind-the-Scenes Jokes / Ginnosara "The Secret"
I honestly can't understand why Ginnosara made this commercial. But that's exactly what's great about it. The world would be a richer place with more things like this in it.
The insight
As results-driven thinking has become the norm, commercials these days tend to fall into one of two patterns: either safe, by-the-book ads playing it careful, or ads with well-liked celebrities doing something slightly quirky in a slightly unusual setup. I always find myself thinking, come on, don't play it so smart.
The idea
The idea is a meta structure that exposes the secrets behind making the commercial itself. One after another, it reveals backstage tricks: the sound of a samurai being slashed is actually the sound of cutting napa cabbage, the explosion is CG, a dog walking happily has meat dangling in front of it off-camera, an actress's age spots are erased with CG, and in meetings with the client, someone pours whiskey into the coffee. It's a massive production with 88 cuts in total.
Afterthought
I eventually realized it all actually lands on the idea of "kids being happy, kids smiling." The child actors, worn out from filming and with their smiles gone, suddenly light up again when the director treats them to Ginnosara sushi. That's the surprising moment when the product finally appears. I hope they keep making ads like this—it would make Japan a richer place. Ginnosara is the best.
