UNIQLO | UNIQLOCK | 2008
A clock that filled in blogs' empty space and spun the whole world / UNIQLO "UNIQLOCK"
In 2007, the clock that kept more people awake than any other was born. UNIQLOCK is a blog widget that marks time with music and dance. Once you stick it on the side of your blog, you'll find yourself watching the five-second changes for ten minutes before you know it.
The problem
Back then, blogs and social media pages had "empty space" on the left and right sides. Kouichiro Tanaka of PROJECTOR noticed this and thought about how to combine a useful "utility" that people would stick on their page with "content" they couldn't help but watch. Not needing any words was also key.
The insight
As Tanaka put it, "a clock is an expression of time." The challenge was how to show time. The idea was to design it as a tool that blends into everyday life without being too flashy. This sense of balance—not overdoing the expression—would end up defining how the work was later judged.
The idea
A dancer wearing UNIQLO clothes changes their dance every five seconds, and that becomes the clock itself. The choreography was by Air:man, and the music was by Fantastic Plastic Machine. The dancer's outfit changes with the seasons, and there's even a scene where they go to sleep at midnight. The site also showed the widget spreading across a world map, stirring up excitement among the people who'd installed it. It wasn't limited to blogs either—it also appeared as a screensaver and in stores.
What happened
As of January 2008, it had been installed more than 27,000 times across 76 countries, with over 68 million views. In the end, it reached 214 countries with 167 million page views. That same year it won two Grand Prix at Cannes Lions, in the Titanium and Cyber categories, and swept up awards worldwide including the Clio Awards, The One Show, and D&AD.
Afterthought
The judges' comments said it all: "This is the work of someone who understands the importance of not overdoing the expression." Just a combination of dance, music, and a clock managed to cross language barriers and fill up empty spaces all over the world. I'll admit I was one of the people hypnotized by those five seconds too.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2008
