table of contents
- An electrical construction company in Hokkaido commissioned a production company in Kyushu to create the product.
- I spent three days with a client in Hokkaido. If I want to see them, I go to see them immediately.
- Website Direction – Making the thoughts and feelings of both the "CEO" and "employees" visible.
- Montblanc's Creative Idea ① – "But Champon is delicious too, you know."
- Montblanc's Creative Approach ② – "You can't create a picture if you haven't been to the site and listened to the CEO's explanations."
- Summary – At the heart of Montblanc is "loving people."
An electrical construction company in Hokkaido commissioned a production company in Kyushu to create the product.
First, I'd like to ask about the circumstances that led to the request for production. When the site was launched, Mr. Tanaka, the representative of Otofu Electric Construction, posted that he had "searched and searched and searched and finally found (Montblanc)."
Takeda:Otofu Electric Construction will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this April, and President Tanaka personally contacted me to discuss a website redesign. The first thing he asked was, "Is it possible to request your services even from Hokkaido?"
Otofu Electric Construction is a company headquartered in Otofu Town, Tokachi, Hokkaido, while Montblanc is in Kyushu. I was surprised by the distance between the north and south.
Takeda:Of course, there are good companies in Hokkaido, but there was a concern that the designs would end up looking similar if they used a local production company that many companies were using. So they broadened their search to the whole country, and it seems our website came up in their search. President Tanaka was also impressed, and I think he saw our track record and felt that we could do something for him.
Fukunaga:President Tanaka said that he enjoys looking at various companies' websites on a regular basis, and that if they were to create their own website, they would want one that was particular about its details. He said, "No matter which of Montblanc's projects I looked at, I felt a passion that was different from others."
I spent three days with a client in Hokkaido. If I want to see them, I go to see them immediately.
What kind of orders did the client give you?
Takeda:As it was their 50th anniversary, the client's requests were twofold: "We want to reflect on what Otofu Electric Construction has accomplished" and "We want to focus on recruitment." From here, we moved into the proposal phase, and at the proposal stage,Basically, Montblanc's director works in tandem with a copywriter, so it's a two-person team.For this project, I decided to ask Mr. Fukunaga, a copywriter and planner whom I have always trusted, to help. And because I wanted to get a real feel for things on-site rather than online, I decided to go to Otofuke Town in Tokachi with Mr. Fukunaga as soon as possible.
That was a quick response. How many days did you spend in Otofuke Town?
Fukunaga:It was a three-day trip. We held interviews, had meals with the president, visited sites, and talked with the staff. We even carefully selected sites and toured them together in the president's car. I got a feel for the atmosphere at the sites, spent three intense days with everyone, and the result was, "Otofu Electric Construction is a wonderful company." However,This method of thorough and close communication is not unique to Otofu Electric Construction; it's something we do every time.
You spend a considerable amount of time listening to your clients each time, don't you?
Fukunaga: If I want to meet someone, I'll go and meet them immediately, and if I feel like I haven't had enough, I'll ask for interviews as many times as it takes.President Tanaka was surprised by the speed of the initial response, but he also appreciated the differences in culture between Hokkaido and Kyushu, and it seems he was happy to be able to introduce his beloved Hokkaido.
Takeda: When creating a website, the one thing I'm careful about is "let's stop lying."It's not a lie, but rather, how can we bring out the appealing qualities that Otofu Electric Works already possesses? We were able to get a feel for that when we went to the site this time, and I remember us saying on the way back, "It looks like we could come up with a good project (we want to make it a good project)."
Website Direction – Making the thoughts and feelings of both the "CEO" and "employees" visible.
Now, let's talk about the direction you aimed for with the website.
Fukunaga:Originally, recruitment was a major theme, but the reality was that the work of power distribution in the northern region is very demanding, and there were not many people willing to do it. But I thought that this was because the "coolness" of the job of power distribution wasn't being conveyed.
Our president often says, "Power distribution workers are cool," so we want to convey that "coolness." And we want to convey that coolness to "the people who are currently working" before we even start recruiting.I thought the first step was to make the thoughts of both the president and the employees visible.
Fukunaga:The underlying concept was "a website created for all the staff working at Otofu Electric Works." We wanted to remind the people who work there of the pride and coolness of power distribution, so we developed the words and images with the idea of "putting the people who work at Otofu Electric Works in the spotlight."
Could you tell us more about the brand word "TOKACHI LIGHT."?
Fukunaga:Even though there are many companies in Hokkaido that handle power distribution, we wanted to create a brand called "Tokachi Lights."Even before that, the name "Tokachi" had come up frequently in conversations with the president.When we considered "what area are we illuminating?" within the vast expanse of Hokkaido, I realized that our president cherishes something like the very air that flows through the Tokachi Plain. That's why we chose "Tokachi," a broader term than just Otofuke. Tokachi is a name that people not only in Hokkaido but also in Kyushu would understand, so we were conscious of that broader scope.
Point 1 – This site will capture the brilliance of all 37 members, rather than being a selection process.
Now, let's talk about the website. The words "TOKACHI LIGHT." and the visual of the staff members being illuminated are certainly striking.
Fukunaga:Actually, after the three-day site visit, when I started thinking about this project, words like "TOKACHI LIGHT." and "visuals of light shining on them" were already in my head, as seen in the first visual. It's the brand word, the light illuminating the staff, and the yellow "circle" as a symbol of this spotlight.
Takeda:The copy was powerful, and I thought it was great from the first time I received it from Mr. Fukunaga, so I thought the words would carry the project. I also thought it was important to choose who to photograph to embody that message. This model is a university student from Kumamoto, but there's a strange connection—she's from Hokkaido—so I asked her to be my model.
The fact that they "captured the light of all 37 people" was also impressive. Instead of selecting individuals, they included all the staff. And each person even had a catchy slogan.
Fukunaga: For recruitment websites, interview content is necessary, and you usually select around 5 to 10 people. But isn't it wrong for the selected person to appear as the "representative of the company"? Of course, it depends on the size of the company, but instead of picking someone out,I thought that if everyone was featured, everyone would be happy, and it would truly become something that felt personal to them.
Takeda:On Otofu Electric Construction's website, I felt that the most important thing was "that they truly value their 37 employees."If you can convey that the president is paying close attention to the employees, and that the employees are also paying attention to the president, that should ultimately lead to successful recruitment.So, instead of focusing on the typical recruitment presentation, we wanted to clearly communicate that "we value the people who work here."
Is this presentation style unique to Otofu Electric Construction?
Fukunaga:Yes, that's right. Actually, when I first spoke to you,I also got the impression that President Tanaka lacked confidence in the company.Things like the way the company is run, and how the staff are treated. "I really think the staff are great, but do you all really think the company is good? What do you think?"
But when I actually went around the workplace and spoke to the younger leaders and long-serving staff, I was impressed to see that both the older and younger staff members got along well and seemed to enjoy their work. So, a key point was that I wanted to convey to the president that the staff members take pride in their company and their work. This direction is something I would never have understood without going to the site, and I probably wouldn't have come up with the "introduce everyone" project.
Point 2 – I was happy that the president of "THE SPOT LIGHT!" made the necessary revisions.
This special website called "THE SPOT LIGHT!" is also quite impressive.
Fukunaga:The idea was to create a commemorative publication for our 50th anniversary, which we then released online. We wanted to create pages that convey our 50-year journey, history, present, and future—both our "past" and our "future." This is truly content created for all 37 of us.
Through this content, the CEO can get to know the staff, and the staff can get to know the CEO.
Takeda: Since the company president is a former musician, the theme is "music," drawing a parallel to that.
Fukunaga: The background story is incredibly interesting and rock and roll. It also plays on the "light" in "spotlight," so it couldn't be any better. This content was also born from talking directly with President Tanaka.
The theme is "LIGHT," and "This Content" and "THE SPOT LIGHT!" are two sides of the same coin. Also, the copy and the quality of the photos are high, and the websites that Montblanc creates always have high-quality content.
Takeda: He's a very skilled photographer. It was raining when we went to shoot, but the photographer I hired this time actually loves those kinds of troubles and was even more motivated by them (laughs). In the end, we were able to capture rain, sunshine, and clouds all within three days, so looking back, I was very lucky.
And here too, there's a "catchphrase for all 37 members."
Fukunaga:That's right, I initially wrote 37 of these taglines myself. But at the very last minute, the president would carefully revise them, saying, "I think this kind of tagline would be good for this person, what do you think?" Every single one of them was full of love and playfulness. I was actually very happy about that.
I was happy about the correction.
Fukunaga:I still believe that you can only write a catchy slogan if you really pay attention to each and every employee. It doesn't matter if you use AI or write it by hand; you can't come up with a catchy slogan unless you're truly observing the people involved.What impressed me was how thoroughly they corrected that.
Point 3 – As the website was completed, President Tanaka's confidence grew steadily.
I'd like to know what your favorite part of this site is.
Takeda:What impressed me the most was the change in President Tanaka.As the website took shape, I felt like the CEO's confidence was growing more and more.I felt like I had become something that the president and the company could use as a weapon, so I was happy that I was able to be of service in that regard.
Fukunaga:My favorite is definitely "THE SPOT LIGHT!". It's a page that encapsulates everything I felt during the two site visits and photo shoots, my feelings for the president, my desire to inspire the employees, and my wish that they will always be happy, even though I might never see them again. I interviewed the managing director, who has been with the company for nearly 40 years, about old stories, and I also received a handwritten message from President Tanaka's mother (the previous president's wife). This kind of "team effort" involving the employees is also part of my editorial policy. I feel like it's a page where I didn't give up on anything.
We may never meet again, but I hope you'll always be happy. It's like a letter to a distant friend. I think Fukunaga's feelings are also embodied in "THE SPOT LIGHT!".
Fukunaga:Hehehe...
What was the reaction from President Tanaka and the staff?
Takeda:President Tanaka commented, "Above all, I am grateful that you have created a website that we are satisfied with and can be proud of," and "I think that new employees will be able to work without feeling any gaps from what they expected!" Staff members also responded with comments such as, "We all participated in creating it. I felt attached to it because I was involved," and "I want someone to see our company's homepage," which we were very grateful to hear.
Montblanc's Creative Idea ① – "But Champon is delicious too, you know."
In branding, there are times when what you want to convey and the reality don't quite align. Mr. Takeda said he doesn't want to lie, so how do you bridge that gap?
Takeda:Often, we start with a client saying, "I want a website like this," but sometimes we realize, "That doesn't really suit your company." As we listen to them, we sometimes open a box that we shouldn't have opened (laughs). But even if it's something the client doesn't want to hear, we try to communicate it while trusting them and discussing it with them. Ms. Fukunaga often asks, "What kind of business are we, anyway?" (laughs).
Fukunaga: Even if someone tells me, "Our specialty is ramen," I can't help but realize, "But champon is way more delicious..."I don't want to neglect ramen either, but if we're going to make it together, I'll suggest "How about we try making champon this time?" while trying to sound as lighthearted as possible so as not to cause any offense (laughs).
How was your experience with Otofu Electric Construction?
Fukunaga:These days, even staff names are often only shown as initials or there are many restrictions, but we wanted to properly feature all 37 people here, and actually, initially, we weren't planning on having the president appear prominently on the site. She's fundamentally a very bright, straightforward, and cool woman, but she also has a sensitive side, and we thought, "It might not be right for the president to stand out so much."
In that case, we needed to edit the way he appeared with integrity. We made sure to get to know the president's personal side, and that ended up becoming the basis for the special website. It wasn't like he was saying "I'm going to appear" from the beginning.
Oh, really? Actually, when I first looked at your website, what impressed me the most was "the way President Tanaka stood facing forward in his work clothes." He looked very cool, and I felt that it really brought out the company's appeal. In Montblanc's case, it's something the client has always had. You capture the light that has always been emitting, so there isn't much of a gap between the ideal and reality, is there?
Montblanc's Creative Approach ② – "You can't create a picture if you haven't been to the site and listened to the CEO's explanations."
As Mr. Takeda mentioned earlier, I'm reminded again of what makes Montblanc unique: their directors work closely with their copywriters.
Takeda:We've been doing things this way for over ten years, so it's normal for us (laughs). In Montblanc's case, it's not "director" and "art director," but "director" and "copywriter." In this case, copywriter and planner Fukunaga is handling both art direction and photography direction. The scale isn't particularly large compared to Tokyo, so it's more of a "do what we can ourselves" approach.
Mr. Fukunaga goes beyond the scope of a copywriter, even handling art direction. In this proposal, he even envisioned and created the first visual for the top page, which is really interesting. Is that considered normal for most people?
Fukunaga:I don't think it's normal (laughs). In this case, Mr. Takeda and I are the ones closest to the president and listen to him more than anyone else. We spend several hours meeting with the client for the initial hearing, and then several days going to meet them, having meals together and talking about all sorts of things, and we can't pass that baton to anyone else.I believe that "people who haven't been to the site and listened to the president's explanations can't create a compelling narrative."This might just be my way of being stubborn (laughs).
Because we're the ones who listen to that person up close, see the expression on their face as they talk about the company's challenges, and observe what they expect from Montblanc, we can come up with the "visual image that best brings out the beauty of their words."
Takeda:Ms. Fukunaga originally came from a magazine publishing background as an editor. That's why she sees words and pictures as a set, and doesn't think of them separately. Even when she's thinking about words, the picture might come first, and she always considers words and pictures together.
Is it common for Mr. Takeda and the writer to work together as a team, Montblanc?
Takeda:That's right. At Montblanc, everyone's foundation is words, and I also value words highly. Ultimately, words and images need to be a set to communicate with customers, and even good words won't be adopted unless they're used together. When making proposals, it's good to show them in a format like Pinterest, but that narrows the range of expression and makes you want to conform, so I try to avoid using such platforms as much as possible and propose original works using a set of words and images.
Summary – At the heart of Montblanc is "loving people."
Finally, I'd like to ask what you consider important in your client work, Mr. Montblanc. In the pre-consultation questionnaire, you wrote down four points: "Visiting the location," "Don't ignore anything that feels wrong," "Find what you like so you can come to like it," and "Start with words (painting a picture with words)."
Takeda:"Going there" means, as I mentioned earlier, simply going to meet them. "Not ignoring your feelings of unease" means being honest about what you feel. Doing so can sometimes deepen trust and drastically change the course of events.
"Finding what you like"When you reach a point where you feel like, "I want to create this for this person," the project becomes incredibly enjoyable.To achieve that, I think the best approach is to find something you can like about the subject. That can become the seed of a project, and it can also give you the strength to move forward. So, when I'm conducting interviews, I always try to find something I can like about the subject.
Regarding the phrase "starting with words," Montblanc also designs projects in a way that "brings out the individuality of the members." Rather than "making people conform to Montblanc's style," they "create according to the characteristics of the partners they want to work with." I think this is because many of Montblanc's partners are writers and planners, hence the phrase "starting with words."
With clients, it's about "finding what you like about them." With team members, it's about creating things together based on "what each person can do." At the core of Montblanc's philosophy is "working with people you like" and "liking people."
Takeda:That may be true. But before I say I "like people," I first and foremost like myself. The way I work now is the result of thinking about "what I should do to be happy." We spend a lot of time working in our lives, don't we? I want to make that time as meaningful as possible, and I want to cherish the people I consider important. I think that's the feeling I have.
Otofu Electrical Construction Corporate Website: Production Credits
Direction: Kyoji Takeda (Montblanc Inc.)
Planning, copywriting, and writing: Azusa Fukunaga
Web design: Fuminori Matsubara
Website development: Taiichi Matsutaka
Still photography: Haruki Anami
Logo design: Takenori Sugimura
