JINS | はじめてのJINS | 2015
Everything you need is packed into 0:15-0:18 / JINS "My First JINS"
Just three seconds. But those three seconds are incredible. Yui Aoi's expression from 0:15 to 0:18 is simply irresistible.
The problem
In 2011, JINS brought on Yui Aoi as its new image character to coincide with the launch of the fifth generation of its flagship "Air frame" series. Starting September 16 (9/16), the new TV commercial "Air frame5: My First JINS" began airing, and on the same day, 58 styles and 360 patterns went on sale as the fifth generation of "Air frame®."
The insight
To draw out a natural, unguarded expression, they only told her the setup for the scene and let her act freely, keeping the camera rolling the whole time to catch the best moment. The director reportedly pretended to call a break while secretly keeping the camera running, and Yui Aoi, momentarily startled, asked "Wait, is this still rolling?" before quickly settling back into a relaxed expression. What they wanted wasn't a performance, but a genuine reaction caught off guard.
The idea
On the rooftop parking lot of a shopping mall, Yui Aoi waits for someone while wearing her brand-new glasses. She checks her reflection in a car window, opens the glasses case. Shot in one long continuous take, her natural, unguarded expressions convey a sense of excitement and anticipation effortlessly. Yosui Inoue's "Yume no Naka e" plays gently in the background, and the mood is just perfect.
What happened
This commercial cemented Yui Aoi's role as the face of JINS, and she continued as the image character in the "Everyone, Air Frame" campaign that began in March 2012, following on from September (9) of the previous year.
Afterthought
Even though the styling is deliberately uncool (on purpose, of course), she still manages to look this cute—which just goes to show the material itself is on another level. This is one I want to watch on loop over and over again—actually, I already have. The impact is just incredible.
