Onitsuka Tiger: Art Of The Samurai Tansu Campaign

Its not often that you find a brand that you really love - Onitsuka Tiger is one of my personal 'loved' brands. Not only do they make some of the best shoes I have ever owned but their advertising generally blows me away and this years campaign is no let down. 

Following the success of three pervious campaigns (and might I add award winning) including some 'made in Japan' inspired sculptures, this years campaign centers around the ancient traditions of Japanese art and contemporary culture. Paying homage to Japanese Tansu furniture-making Onitsuka Tiger had a wooden cabinet built to look like a sneaker made for them by Tansu master Ogura-San. 

Basically Tansu furniture-making is highly distinctive due to the fact that it has produced some of the most complex 'puzzle box' cabinets and chest the world has seen. Apparently it took Orgura-San and his team more than four months to build the individually crafted boxes that make up the final work. The wooden sneaker has hundreds of secrete compartments and like an interact puzzle must be unlocked in sequence.

This whole concept is bought to fruition online where they have created a fully interactive, stop motion animation of the sneaker. Users can open doors and draws and discover secretes about the brand and the seasons new collection. Those that can crack the code in the specific sequence can access 'hidden treasure' (prizes) and other exclusive content.

There is a whole host of supporting content that go with the online web presense  - including life size replicas of the wooden shoe and various supporting print ads. Personally I love this campaign because of the attention to detail and the effort put into the whole thing... kinda the way I feel about their products. Now thats branding at it most effective.