– New Company Focused on Designing Sustainable Businesses and Social Systems –

 

Tokyo, October 2^nd – TBWA\HAKUHODO announces the launch of its new subsidiary, ‘Earth Centric Design Lab’.
This new company specializes in integrating sustainability into creativity, aiming to design sustainable businesses and social systems. The founding members consist of experts with proven track records in the advertising and creative industries, as well as specialists in environmental and social sustainability.

 

Placing the Earth at Center: Designing Sustainable Business and Social Systems through Creativity

 

The Earth Centric Design Lab is a new undertaking by TBWA\HAKUHODO, and the company’s name reflects its commitment to positioning the Earth as a critical stakeholder in all endeavors. This shift from a ‘human-centered’ approach to a multi-species ‘planet-centered’ vision is driven by the desire to create a future where both the Earth and humanity may thrive through creative solutions.

 

The company’s CEO, Kazoo Sato, has won numerous international accolades throughout his career, including awards from the prestigious Cannes Lions, and has served as a judge at various international creative competitions. Drawing on his innovative and global mindset, he will lead the Earth Centric Design Lab to tackle environmental issues on a planetary scale. The company is also collaborating with domestic and international experts in sustainability, aiming to provide businesses and governments with sustainable solutions to their challenges.

 

TBWA\HAKUHODO has long leveraged its philosophy and methodology of “DISRUPTION®” to tackle a wide range of social issues, in collaboration with many partners. Sustainability is not only viewed as a social responsibility by the agency, but as a key pillar for business development and growth, with creative initiatives like ‘SHELLMET’ receiving much international recognition. With the establishment of Earth Centric Design Lab, the agency is further set to place sustainability at the core of its business, expanding the possibilities of sustainable business solutions.

 

Tackling the Challenges of Sustainability

Today’s businesses face complex and multifaceted environmental challenges, and the sustainability market is growing rapidly. While 62.5% of companies have increased their sustainability-related budgets (*1), many still struggle to effectively communicate their sustainability efforts to consumers. Earth Centric Design Lab seeks to address these challenges by integrating creativity into sustainability to create new value for businesses, while also collaborating with partners to enhance consumer awareness of environmental issues and encourage behavioral change toward a more sustainable society.

 

*1 Hakuhodo Products, “Survey on Corporate Sustainable Communication,” May 2024

 

The Three Pillars of Earth Centric Design Lab

 

1. BRANDING: Supporting companies committed to building brands that recognize the Earth as a key stakeholder. The lab will help companies transition to a more planet-centered brand identity.

 

2. WORKSHOP: Offering co-creation workshops designed to help companies transition their corporate values and operations to align with Earth-centric principles.

 

3. LAB: A collaborative space where researchers and designers work together to create regenerative solutions for the future of the planet.

 

Kazoo Sato – CEO, Earth Centric Design Lab

Kazoo Sato is the Chief Creative & Sustainability Officer at TBWA\HAKUHODO. Born in 1973, he joined TBWA\HAKUHODO in 2010 after working for Sony Music Entertainment and Leo Burnett. As a Chief Creative Officer, Sato has won numerous domestic and international awards, spanning across various media disciplines. He has served as a judge at Cannes Lions in multiple categories, including Film and Product Design. In 2022, Sato earned his Master’s degree in Environmental Studies and is currently a researcher at Keio University’s Graduate School of System Design and Management (SDM).

 

A Message from Kazoo Sato

“As a creator, I’ve tackled a range of corporate challenges over the years, helping unknown brands grow into global names, refreshing outdated images, delivering unforgettable UX, and even reviving products that struggled to sell. I don’t know if I’ve solved every problem perfectly, but I’ve supported corporate activities in many ways that I can, always striving to bring joy, courage, and laughter to consumers. 

However, while these activities made people happy, I didn’t always consider their impact on nature, animals, or other populations around the world. Despite knowing that our partners were contributing to CO2 emissions, or leaving footprints on the environment, we on the marketing side of things tended to believe our activities did not contribute much to these burdens.

Now, as we support companies with our creativity in areas like branding, new business creation, startup assistance, and regional revitalization, we will ensure that every step in the process reduces our burden on the planet. We will work diligently to measure and visualize environmental impact, minimize harm, and find ways to turn challenges into opportunities for positive change.”

 

About Earth Centric Design Lab

 

– Name: Earth Centric Design Lab, Inc.

– Founded: October 2, 2024

– CEO: Kazoo Sato

– Headquarters: 3rd To-un Building, 1-13-10 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

– Capital: ¥50 million

– Business: Solving corporate challenges through the combination of sustainability and creativity, including branding, corporate identity design, advertising communication, video content, spatial design, UI/UX design, strategy development, new business development, service development, product development, and regional revitalization.

– URL: https://ecdtokyo.jp/