Dentsu wants brands to display their ‘skeletons’

Dentsu has acquired the international marketing and sponsorship rights to an exhibition that focuses on the internal mechanisms of things, ranging from machines to organisms.

The Suke Suke Exhibition made its debut in Fukuoka last year, drawing a crowd of 85,000, according to Dentsu. The company now wants to take it overseas and open it up to brands and educational bodies, promising to “provide services that create and maximise marketing opportunities” around the content.

A spokesperson for Dentsu said sponsors will be able to “set up a new type of booth with skeletal models of their products”. He noted that in Fukuoka, Kirin showcased a transparent vending machine, while Kawai invited people to play a see-through piano.

A Kawai piano at the event in Fukuoka (photo provided by Dentsu)

Given that the exhibition serves to educate children, it can be seen as a way for brands to gain familiarity among a future generation of consumers as well as adults.

“When expanding overseas, we can set up booths for brands that are expanding globally in each market as well as for products of local companies to create opportunities for people to understand the technologies and systems of their products in the context of education while playing,” the spokesperson said.

He added that Dentsu intends to “aggressively expand” the business in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The experiential space continues to be a growth area for agencies, which see value in investing directly in properties. ADK is an investor in and co-producer of the FISE urban sports festival in Hiroshima, which it uses to generate marketing and sponsorship revenue and to help clients reach a new audience.

Involvement is not always straightforward. Dentsu Aegis Network is currently facing criticism for withdrawing its financial backing of Woodstock 50. The company pulled out of the event late last month after putting up a reported $30 million, citing concerns that it would be too difficult to organise.