BRANDED SHORTS
About BRANDED SHORTS
As the only international advertising film competition in Japan
In an age when it has become increasingly difficult to engage with customers through traditional communication means alone, companies and their customers are undergoing major changes in the way they transmit and receive information. Communication between companies and their customers have changed dramatically, and an increasing number of companies are now focusing on visual marketing. In particular, branded films are attracting attention as content that can combine “value for consumers (entertainment and usefulness)” with “messages and principles” from the company or brand. In 2016, the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) established the branded film category as part of an international short film festival and established BRANDED SHORTS as an official competition to recognize these films. As the only international advertising film competition in Japan, SSFF & ASIA continues to create new avenues for the growing field of branded films. This year, we received 687 entries (International: 564, National: 123) from around the world. 15 films were nominated for the International Competition and 9 for the National Competition. From these nominated films, the “Branded Shorts of the Year” award will be presented to outstanding branded movie selected by a panel of 7 jurors based on 8 criteria. The winner will be announced at “BRANDED SHORTS 2022” on Tuesday, June 14. On the same day, a talk session will be held by the jury members who will discuss this year’s trends and the potential of BRANDED SHORTS. At the same time, the winner of the 11th VisualTourism Award, (Japan Tourism Agency Commisioner’s Award) will be announced. An online event with the participation of the five finalist regions will be streamed on May 26, Thursday.
Awards
International Competition
Branded Shorts of the Year
Award given to the best BRANDED short film from outside Japan chosen based on eight criteria: essentiality, ability to change perceptions, shareability, strength of message, viewership retention, originality, timeliness, and memory retention.
National Competition
Branded Shorts of the Year
Award given to the best Japanese BRANDED short film chosen based on eight criteria: essentiality, ability to change perceptions, shareability, strength of message, viewership retention, originality, timeliness, and memory retention.
HR Competition supported by Indeed
HR Award
Award given to the most engaged short film based on the criteria of Purpose, Corporate Appeal, Message, Sustained Viewing, Originality, and Memory Retention chosen from branding perspectives that lead to recruitment.
Deloitte Digital Award
Deloitte Digital and Committee for Short Shorts will select Deloitte Digital Award, with theme of “fusion of digital and humanity” under the following criteria: Purpose, New, Design, Human Experience and Engagement.
Visual Tourism Award, Japan Tourism Agency Commisioner’s Award
Among tourism promotional films, movies, and videos produced in all 47 prefectures in Japan, the Visual Tourism Award, (Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner of Tourism Award) will be given to the most creative, promotional, and topical work, based on the perspective of tourism promotion.
Judging Criteria(Branded Shorts of the Year)
“Branded Shorts of the Year” will be selected from each category by a jury gathered from across boundaries of the advertising, film, and other related industries from the BRANDED SHORTS 2022 international and national category nominated short films. Judging criteris: essentiality, ability to change perceptions, shareability, strength of message, viewership retention, originality, timeliness, and memory retention.
Programs
In addition to online streaming starting Thursday, May 12, screenings will be held on Monday, June 13 at Akasaka Intercity Air. Please check each program page or the screening/streaming schedule for the festival period and screening times.
International Competition
A competition that combines short films and advertising that features branded companies or organizations overseas to promote their products and/or activities.
National Competition
A competition that combines short films and advertising that features branded companies or organizations in Japan to promote their products and/or activities.
Visual Tourism Award
Since 2012, SSFF & ASIA has awarded the “Visual Tourism Award (Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Award)” to short films that promote tourism with creativity, promotion, and topicality. This year, the 11th edition, 5 of the best short films submitted to BRANDED SHORTS were selected as finalists. During the film festival in June, one of the finalists will be selected and awarded the Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Award.
Events
BRANDED SHORTS 2022
The “Branded Shorts of the Year” award will be presented to the best branded short film selected by a panel of seven jurors based on eight different criteria out of all the entries received from around the world.
On the same day, a jury talk show will be held by the jury members. They will discuss this year’s trends and the future potential of BRANDED SHORTS. The Visual Tourism Award, in its 11th edition this year, we will also announce the Visual Tourism Award (Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Award).
The future of tourism promotion as seen through today’s visual tourism films.
Festival President, Tetsuya Bessho, will host the representatives of the five regions selected as the finalists of the 11th Visual Tourism Award as well as Takeshi Kikawa, a professor of the Faculty of Tourism at Wakayama University and the director of the Japan International Tourism Film Festival. The will discuss the future of visual tourism, the films selected as finalists and the appeal of the respective areas depicted, and the possibilities of tourism in the future that will include sustainable and regenerative concepts.
SSFF & ASIA 2022 Official Competition Sponsor
Organizer
Co-organizer
Patronage (Koen)
Translation Support
Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy