ソニー | 新世代ウォークマン WM-501 | 1987
Even a Masterpiece Like This Had to Mention the "EX Amorphous Head" / Sony "New Generation Walkman"
Looking at it again, this is a seriously great piece of work. The idea, the direction—everything about it is excellent. But at the same time, it's a little sad to think that even a masterpiece like this had to work in a line about the "EX Amorphous Head."
The problem
In July 1987, Sony released the WM-501, its first ultra-compact Walkman smaller than a cassette case, under the tagline "New Generation Walkman." The ad was shot on location at the shores of Lake Ashinoko, capturing the original Choromatsu—the monkey who performed with trainer Goro Murasaki—listening to music on the Walkman. The memorable copy, "The sound has evolved. How about you?", was written by Hiroshi Ichikura, quietly posing a question about the evolution of sound quality.
The insight
It's a well-known story that Choromatsu grew sleepy from the warmth of the shooting lights and closed his eyes—and that happy accident ended up looking like a monkey lost in meditation, absorbed in the music. The idea of a meditating monkey had no precedent in advertising at the time, setting it apart from other ads that relied on flashy visuals or celebrity casting. The quiet footage was born out of sheer endurance: over three days of shooting, the crew reportedly stood for about 30 hours total. The insight contrasting technological progress with the human condition reached viewers with very few words.
The idea
The director was Shigeo Yuki. Filming took place over three early mornings in June on the shores of Lake Ashinoko, where natural mist and diffused light created the bluish tone of the footage. Tokyu Agency International served as the advertising agency and Nakahata Advertising Office as the production company, with Takashi Nakahata, Hiroshi Oshima, and Hiroto Furuno as planners, and Hiroshi Ichikura credited for the copy. The ad simply shows the monkey standing on two legs, holding the Walkman, eyes closed. The balance of narration, music, and silence is exquisite—there's nothing wasted in these 30 seconds. And yet, within that same spot, they still had to fit in the line "EX Amorphous Head"—which must have been a bittersweet moment for the people who made it.
What happened
The ad won the Best Spot Commercial Award in the Film Commercial category at the 1987 ACC CM Festival, and in 2000 it was selected for induction into the "20th Century Hall of Fame Commercials." This work was also chosen from Japan for preservation at the Smithsonian, which archives outstanding commercial films from around the world. Choromatsu retired in 1990 and spent his remaining years with his partner Goro Murasaki, passing away from old age on January 14, 2007, at the age of 29.
Afterthought
It must have already felt like a masterpiece the moment it was finished, and I imagine everyone involved thought, "Come on, do we really need to say 'EX Amorphous Head' here?"—or so I like to imagine about these creators I've never met. Just my own speculation. But even working within that kind of constraint, the fact that they managed to preserve this stillness and the power of its quiet question is still, honestly, amazing.
