JWT Tokyo has been awarded the Media Grand Prix at this year‟s Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, the world‟s premiere showcase for excellence in advertising. The prestigious honor recognizes JWT Tokyo for “Kit Kat Mail,” a campaign developed for the Nestlé Kit Kat brand. “To be awarded a Grand Prix at Cannes is the ultimate honor and recognition within the industry,” says Michael Maedel, President, JWT. “With „Kit Kat Mail,‟ we‟re showing the strength of our capabilities in Japan. It is an affirmation that our strategic focus on building our client‟s business can lead to success for both our clients and JWT.”
JWT Tokyo partnered with the newly privatized Japan Post to co-develop an entirely new postal product—a special Kit Kat package anyone could write a message on and mail, the first time in history for such a collaboration. The innovative “Kit Kat Mail” campaign was a huge success, with the product becoming available overnight in 20,000 new and competition-free locations.
Ultimately, the campaign received PR coverage totaling more than US$11 million in free media. Due to its initial success, “Kit Kat Mail” is now the first and only outside product to become a permanent offering in Japan Post outlets. And by making the post office part of the experience, the popularity of the campaign has spread, with “Kit Kat Mail” being delivered for all occasions, across all demographics and to every corner of the globe. “This award for Kit Kat marks JWT‟s ability to exploit brand ideas to the fullest,” says Jun Fukawa, Executive Creative Director, JWT Tokyo. “To realize this new distribution channel is the killer combination of brand building and immediate sales growth.”
