OUR HUMAN WORK
Smirnoff
Human created every aspect of Smirnoff"s entry into the canned drink market in Japan. From the product innovation concept to the campaign idea. We conceived, scripted, filmed and post-produced a series of long form films shot in Jamaica with top Japanese and Jamaican dancehall artists. And then brought the Jamaicans to Japan, shooting three music videos featuring Japan's biggest Instagram influencer, Naomi Watanabe and Madonna's infamous Japanese dance duo AyaBambi. Original music composition and choreography were both also created in-house at Human.
oikos | double feature
Human created a 360 campaign for Danone's Oikos yogurt featuring Academy Award Nominee Tadanobu Asao and three time Japan Academy Award Winner Haru Kuroki. All talent management was done in-house. This 15 second television ad was a dual gender breakthrough for a category focused primarily on a female target. From script to film direction and original music composition, Human crafted every single aspect of the production.
CLEAR | TVc
A powerful Television commercial for CLEAR's re-launch of the brand. Filmed on a high-speed Phantom with new robot-operated camera technology
Liberation is a beautiful example of Human's craftsmanship in cinematography. A collaboration with Arcade, Human Agency produced, directed and composed original music for this impactful :15 second advertisement.
CLEAR | LIBERATION!
The Human Agency team created a :60 second music video for CLEAR in the Philippines, shot in the beautiful remote islands of El Nido. A first for a Japanese product, featuring couture celebrity Kozue Akimoto and two influential Filipina dancers. This original campaign was created in collaboration with Arcade. Direction, production, post-production, music, lyrics and choreography by Human Agency. The long form film was then edited into 3 x :15 second product ads, an important agile production strategy to maximize content and minimize costs.
Coca cola | sustainability
Human created an environmental sustainability music video for Coca Cola Company with children from a rural Japanese town. We invented innovative re-cycled musical instruments for the film and hand-made them together with the children at a fun, interactive workshop. Human's music director Robin Sato taught the children how to play the instruments and also worked with them to capture environmental sounds with high-fidelity digital recording technology. The final film features the children in-concert in the colorful autumnal forest of this beautiful Japanese town, home to some of Coca Cola's most important factories.
OIKOS | Instamash
A completely new approach to social media content, Human's launch campaign for Oikos was a breakthrough in agile production. We curated, cast and managed 15 of the biggest Instagram stars in the country and shot 45 x :15 second films in just two months. All of our influencers posted the films on their personal Instagram accounts (no paid media). The campaign went viral instantly with consumers, major models, film celebrities and television talents posting their own versions of the film organically on their own Instagram accounts. The campaign had 10x the engagement of any brand in the category, with an average 138 earned #Oikos posts a day during the height of the campaign. All content from concept through script, film direction, music and post-production created by Human Agency.
miranda kerr | testimonial
A powerful day-in-the-life testimonial featuring Miranda Kerr on set in China. We capture Ms. Kerr in action, the heart-pounding pressure of being on set, the excitement and drama of being beautiful when the pressure is on. And the things Miranda does to stay at the top of her game and beautiful, from yoga and green smoothies to loyal usage of the CLEAR product itself. A collaboration with Arcade China. Story edit, film production, direction and post-production by Human Agency.
Dove | real beauty WORKSHOPS
Human filmed a Dove Campaign for a Real Beauty workshop in Japan, in collaboration with the local brand building team. These two endearing films challenge women, men and children to re-think the way the see their own beauty. The workshop included a variety of social-psychological games designed to make people see their bodies, hair, skin eyes, selves in a totally new way. Our vision was to capture the genuine moment of shock, surprise and personal empowerment in these high energy, fun and often emotional live events.
akira superbike | viral
In celebration of the anniversary of one of the most famous manga's ever written (the post-apocalyptic masterpiece Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo) we created an innovative road-trip film following an incredibly life-like replica of the story's iconic super-bike. We traveled from Fukuoka to Tokyo following this eye-catching activation live and posting segments every day as the journey unfolded on the streets, ferries and country roads of Japan. The trip culminates as the bike races to Otomo's celebratory art exhibition for this important pop literary masterpiece. Over 1.4 million viewers have enjoyed this epic viral on Youtube.
blanka | feature film
Human Agency's Kohki Hasei's first feature film, BLANKA, has won 14 grand prix prizes and appearances in 50 film festivals in 40 countries, including honors at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. Kohki traveled back and forth from Manila over the course of three years, writing, producing and filming. He also personally discovered and cast an incredible group of non-actors from some of the poorest slums in the city. A truly new genre of film that has played in cinemas on 5 continents and has been shown on over 40 screens in Japan.
clear | testimonials
Human re-invented the traditional testimonial format by elevating the provocative real life stories of some very unique Japanese men and women who have a completely unconventional idea of beauty in today's complex society. An ex Takarazuka dancer turned LGBTQ activist with a strong point of view on what beauty can be for women who challenge today's norms. An extreme distance runner shows us what strength really is on a wild run through the beautiful nature of Japan. A traditional painter on the shores of Lake Biwa tells us that Japanese strength is in its idea of beauty. A post-modern male Ikebana artist who believes that the essence of beauty lies in the strength of nature. A strong-willed hair stylist and mother takes us behind the beautiful scenes of a hardcore day on set. In collaboration with Arcade, these films were cast, directed and produced by Human Agency with 5 original music compositions created in-house.
my little guidebook | feature film
Human Agency's Yoshiro Osaka's second independent non-profit film is a collaboration between Taiwan and Japan's tourism industry, with generous funding by Airbnb and an array of local brands. As Japan's remote islands begin to suffer from rapid aging and underpopulation, My Little Guidebook is beautifully constructed to attract young tourists from Chinese speaking markets to the region. A documentary style film with a fictional narrative, My Little Guidebook has won numerous festival awards for its innovative approach. The film features an original score by Human Agency's music director Robin Sato. And stars Human Agency's director and in-house acting coach Jai Tatsuto West.
bio | the body house
Human crafted a unique campaign idea and communication platform for Japan's important re-launch of Danone's flagship BIO brand. Harnessing the global influence of New York Times best selling author and motivational speaker Marie Kondo, we turned the body into a charming craft house where Kondo-san teaches women how to clean and care for their inner selves like they would for their own home. The series extends from television to digital as Marie invites a lovely range of self-care experts into her "body home" to give simple tips and inspiration for her audience. Strategy, creative idea, script writing, casting, music, film production and post-production all by Human Agency.
united nations | University of tokyo
Human Agency planned, traveled and filmed across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, shooting some the poorest and most environmentally precious places on the planet for Tokyo University'sGraduate Program in Sustainability Science. We followed the school's amazing young students and passionate professors to the incredible places they conduct their cutting edge ecological research and activism. We then returned to Tokyo filming all the action on the university's beautiful, high-tech campus, the lectures, the debates, and the inspiring social activities of this highly innovative and global learning institution.
toto lottery
Human Agency created an on-the-ice film for Toto Lottery's sponsorship of the Japanese women's national hockey team. The film was crafted to capture both the power and elegance of these talented women in action. Because cinematographic vision was to put the audience in the shoes (skates!) of these incredible athletes, our fearless DOP put on his own blades and filmed on skates with an incredibly heavy and highly expensive Red Epic Camera rig. No DOPs or equipment were hurt in the course of this action-packed shoot (whew!)
BIO | smoothie
For the launch of the new BIO smoothie range in Japan, Human created a fun, stylish online film that targets career focused people in a completely surprising musical way. With our bespoke dance for this film focused around the packaging and the funny, yet emotionally insightful lyrics about fighting the drudgery of the work day, we captured that uplifting moment when you drink BIO as the perfect snack. Music, original lyrics choreography, and all aspect of direction and production by Human Agency.
CLEAR | GRaduation from kawaii
1.6 million Japanese consumers engaged with CLEAR's innovative viral platform for the launch of the brand in Japan. A young female fashion influencer drives a pink Lamborghini across Japan during the height of the cherry blossom season. On the way, she meets six unique Japanese women, from a dancer to the captain of fishing crew. She learns that it is time for her to leave her girlhood behind, as she becomes a new strong woman with her own ideas. The platform features short films of all the women she meets on her incredible journey. A collaboration with Arcade Agency; script, casting, film production and original music by Human Agency.