ABOUT

"JAPAN 2021" was a Japanese film campaign conducted throughout the United Kingdom from 2020 to 2021, organised by the British Film Institute.

ZYLA was responsible for the Art Direction of the project's key illustrations and the production of promotional videos. This project focused on the masterpieces of Japanese cinema with a​​​​​​​ history of over 100 years and was presented through film festivals, online exhibitions, theatrical releases, educational events, and more. The British Film Institute sought designers familiar with Japanese culture, such as ourselves based in Tokyo, rather than designers from the UK.

Challenge & Creative Direction

The BFI was seeking a campaign that represented the iconic masterpieces of Japanese cinema. They wanted to portray Japanese culture in a contemporary manner and advertise it in a way that would appeal to the British audience.We devised a black-and-white manga-inspired aesthetic, allowing us to blend traditional Japanese inspiration into a cool and modern expression. For the videos, we envisioned the overall flow, considering the individual personalities of each character and key items involved. We were conscious of scene transitions and the narrative structure, ensuring a cohesive storytelling experience throughout the entire video.

Project Results
This campaign, which was consciously created to convey "cool Japanese culture" in the UK, garnered attention through various media channels, including domestic and international outlets, web platforms, publications, transportation advertisements within London, and cinema screens.