Olympic Figure Skater Dresses as the Goddess Benten for Osakan Hot Spring Resort

Independent creative agency UltraSuperNew today launch a new campaign for Osakan hot spring resort, Solaniwa Onsen, which heralds the much-loved Olympic figure skater Nobunari Oda as the face of the brand.

The TVC, print and poster campaign is targeted at the stressed-out community of Osaka who feel the pressures of daily life and like to relax and unwind in the calm tranquillity of a hot spring resort. In the creative executions, Oda is dressed as the goddess Benten sailing the Solaniwa visitors to rest and relaxation on a golden barge. The barge is a symbol of the Seven Lucky Gods, which Benten is grouped together with and that are infamously depicted together with in Japanese folklore imagery.

Some might say brand ambassador Nobunari is Osaka's history, culture, and local hospitality personified. He is a born and bred Osakan and descendent of Nobunaga Oda, a warlord who helped unify Japan and ushered in the Azuchi Momoyama Period, the very same period the resort is inspired by. Oda is a natural choice as ambassador as he is considered to be the very epitome of a sensitive, modern man and has often publicly shared his love and respect for friends and fellow skaters: the embodiment of a hospitable nature.

The resort’s unique brand experience is themed on the historical Azuchi Momoyama Period, an era where Osaka found itself as a dominant cultural force.

The TVC aired on February 21st in the Kansai region which includes Osaka and Kyoto, and from today, posters will launch.