SUUMO | 足跡 | 2015
"It's true, I know it." — and the tears just came / SUUMO "Footprints"
A 2015 SUUMO commercial starring Yoshinori Okada. A child appears who feels almost like a fairy, yet also completely real, reflecting the father's state of mind. After he asks "Is that true?", the simple reply "It's true, I know it." catches you off guard and brings the tears.
The insight
It's an ordinary scene, maybe even a scene that risks feeling too typical. But by having a fairy-like child appear, the ad projects the father's inner feelings onto him, giving the whole thing a strange, dreamlike quality. The target audience is probably people in their 30s to 40s thinking about buying a house, around the age when their kids are starting elementary school—and I bet this really hits home for them.
The idea
The story follows a father who has just built a new house, walking with his son back through the home they used to live in. The father declares, "I won't waste money anymore, I'll stop living carelessly," and his child answers, "It's true, I know it." The ad also shows the father's mother back in the countryside, still sending him money because, she says, there's nothing left that she wants to buy for herself.
Afterthought
Yoshinori Okada's range is amazing. He shows both the father's gentleness and his resolve so naturally, and that's what gives this commercial its warm, tender feeling. I couldn't confirm further details, but I think this is a film that stays with anyone who watches it.
