Branding for a TV drama for global broadcast distribution

Area: Brand Strategy and Creative Direction
Sector: Broadcast Media and Entertainment
Type: Brand Localisation, Key Visual and Creative Direction
Market: Europe, presented at MIPCOM, France

Context:
NHK Enterprises required brand localisation and creative direction for presentation at MIPCOM in France, targeting European audiences and distributors. The drama key visual and the 8K broadcast poster made up this presentation. Existing campaigns for each had run in Japan already. Because direct transfer of that branding did not suit European audiences, given differing cultural and market context, each needed its own adaptation. The 8K poster also served NHK’s ongoing 8K broadcast campaign beyond MIPCOM.

The key visual supported international promotion of a TV adaptation of the novel An Artist of the Floating World. Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro wrote the novel. The adaptation starred Ken Watanabe, and NHK produced it.

Approach:
Key visual branding was developed through cross-cultural adaptation, retaining the heritage character of the source material while reworking it for a European market. The concept combined modern nostalgia with surrealism. Smoke and the central figure of the protagonist conveyed internal reflection and the unfolding of memory, while hand-drawn calligraphy for the title communicated uncertainty and a divided state of mind. Separate graphics were created for a promo video produced by Think Make Create.

For the 8K broadcast poster. A reflective 8K motif was developed to evoke a high-definition screen. With the concept of hyperrealism, imagery narrated a story clockwise across nature, place, sky and people to convey the immersive quality of the format.

Outcome:
The promo branding and key visual were presented at MIPCOM in France. Both obtained highly commended feedback at the presentation. They continued to appear beyond MIPCOM as part of the broadcast’s wider promotional campaign.