Tokyo - Before the clicking and tapping of social
media messaging, perhaps the oldest and most personal way people communicated was
through the expression on one’s face while standing in front of another. This
is true the world over, yet people in some cultures communicate in much more
subtle ways than others.
In Japan, it is uncommon to see people
expressing overt displays of affection in public places. So often, shyness
prevents the exposure of true feelings, even in terms of facial expression.
Despite what the heart desires to say, Japanese people tend to maintain a
“Poker Face”. In partnership with Saatchi
& Saatchi Fallon, Godiva Japan is out to change that - at least for Valentine’s
Day.
In 2013, Godiva encouraged people to
express their love for each other by hugging a specially constructed mannequin
that measured the qualities of a person’s hug and enabled people to share it
online.
This year, through the use of facial
recognition technology, a wink and a smile received through an interface,
creates a custom digital message that can be sent to a loved one. The act of winking and smiling moves a digital
cursor and allows people to select words to create their message of love. In
addition, photos of the individual winking and smiling in various combinations
to navigate the program will be turned into a series of unique and charming
animated GIFs to accompany the text that’s created.
The Wink & Smile Booth will appear at
several locations throughout Tokyo leading up to Valentine’s Day. All the
messages and accompanying animated clips will be uploaded onto the Godiva Wink
& Smile campaign website and can be easily shared on social media. This
campaign reflects the emotional brand values of Godiva; creating a fun and
truly unique way for typically shy Japanese to express their feelings for one
another this Valentine’s Day.