It Starts With "Dekushi!": Designing Buzz for the Lowest Common Denominator / KIRIN Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria "SPECIAL STUDENT"

The problem

This web video was made to boost awareness of Kirin's Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria and to get across the idea that Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria is a special kind of lactic acid bacteria, different from the rest. Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria is named after plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC). It exists in only a tiny amount in the body, but plays an extremely important role. The question was how to communicate that product trait. Explaining the function alone wouldn't get through to people. So the thinking became: let's find a "special existence" that everyone can relate to instead.

The insight

The idea of depicting "special existence" through elementary-school moments everyone recognizes is brilliant. The target audience is clearly set as people in their 20s and 30s, the generation most likely to go wild for this, tapping into memories shared across generations. The structure that layers "the rare, special kids within a class" over "Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria, a rare and special bacteria among lactic acid bacteria" taps into a lowest-common-denominator kind of insight, letting the product sink in without feeling forced.

The idea

A boy walks to school in short sleeves and shorts even as snow falls, then changes into his indoor shoes at the shoe lockers. Boys roughhouse on the balcony, making "dekushi" sound effects with their mouths. A boy crosses his arms to put up a "barrier." A girl holds a broom during cleaning time and scolds a boy. Two girls play the hand-clapping game Alps Ichimanjaku so fast that everything around them seems to slow down. A boy shows off his multi-function pencil case to a friend at his desk. A boy raises his hand to admit he did his homework but left it at home. At the closing ceremony, a boy carries a potted plant, an umbrella, and a paint set all at once on his way home. A girl smiles while sipping nectar from an azalea flower. A teacher stands with arms crossed, watching the clock, waiting for everyone to settle down. All of this is shot in slow motion and set to grand operatic singing, turning everyday elementary-school moments into a distinctive world of their own. Each character gets an on-screen caption like "Short-Sleeves-and-Shorts Kid, Rarity 1/50" or "The Silent Waiter, Rarity 1/school," a thoughtful touch that shows at a glance just how special each one is. The child actors' performances and the meticulous art direction mesh perfectly with the contrast between the slow motion and the music, turning what could have been a simple gag video into something that feels like a real piece of work.

What happened

Released on December 5, 2016, the commercial also ran in movie theaters, playing before the main feature. It became a topic of conversation on social media like Twitter, and was picked up by multiple outlets including Netorabo and Entabe. That said, I can't help but feel this project runs into a familiar problem: there are so many places beyond the web—mass media, retail, events—where something like this could connect further, yet so often it just ends with "yeah, we went viral on the web," full stop. This project seems to fit that pattern too.

Afterthought

It's incredibly funny. I think that alone is impressive enough. But honestly, it's also true that "the product has nothing to do with any of it, I don't feel like drinking it, I still don't really get what 'Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria' even is—it's just really, really funny." Going viral and actually selling something are two different things. The video moves from a white background reading "These kids are a rare, special presence even within their class" to a shot of the product lined up on a classroom desk with the caption "Rarity 1/lactic acid bacteria," closing with "Both are indispensable." Did that sequence truly get across the product's value, or did it just end up as a "who's-the-funniest" contest? Only Kirin knows the answer. But personally, I love this video. Dekushi!

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