Olive Oil

Commissioned by adidas UK, we produced a documentary film about shoemaster Toshiaki Omori, who is based in Kobe. It was created for the social channels of Size, a shoe retailer with dozens of stores across Europe. This film gets to the heart of the creativity of a shoe creator who has long earned worldwide attention and respect in the footwear industry. The film was directed by Kousai Sekine. With sharp, dimensional visuals, a track by Fukuoka-based beatmaker Olive Oil, and interview comments packed with punchlines, every element is tightly synchronized in this crisp work, which received high praise from a European client that stays one step ahead in the field of content marketing.

What Coleman, the U.S. brand with more than 100 years of history, conveys in this film is the spirit of “dive into nature and have fun with whatever unexpected things come your way.” The piece is composed of two parts: the first is a road-movie segment in which four rappers search for a campsite while overcoming unforeseen mishaps, and the second is a session around the campfire at the end of the day, featuring improvised rap. Especially noteworthy is the “cypher” scene from 2:32 onward, where words are connected entirely on the spot through pure improvisation. (*A cypher is a word art form similar to a jazz session, in which rappers gathered in the same place build on one another’s words, layering inspiration and creating a chain reaction.) To realize an authentic cypher in the midst of unpredictable nature, JKD selected four highly skilled rappers: “Tagaryu” and “Big Ben” from Stillichimiya, who are based in Yamanashi and actively engaged in wide-ranging work; “Chirpuso,” a new-generation freestyler drawing attention for his exceptional skills; and “Chinza DOPENESS,” a genius rapper known for his broad and diverse activities. The result is a work in which these four singular talents weave together an improvised Japanese-language art form, allowing viewers to feel its groove and creativity. The video director is Sojiro Kamatani, who also drew attention for the web movies “Girl’s High School Ninja” and “The World’s First Cute Miso Soup.” With outstanding taste and a vivid sense of realism, he captures the outdoor magic that turns any mishap into a cherished memory. The trackmaker is Olive Oil.