Here is the English version!
1. You have very international background and you spent five years at W+K Tokyo. What kind of experience did you gain there?
I was hired as a freelance designer for W+K Tokyo Lab, a music label launched in 2003. Later on I became an art director for both the Lab, working on all sorts of visual communications for our artists including music packaging and music videos, and the agency where I did work for clients like Nike, Google, and MTV. For the most part, a good balance of work and play!
2. You moved from W+K Tokyo to W+K Shanghai in 2009. How did it happen and what made you decide to move to W+K Shanghai?
I am Chinese and naturally I was curious about creating work for China. Working in W+K Shanghai had been a topic of discussion with my creative directors in Tokyo for a few years and finally came a chance in the summer of 2009 to work on a project for Nike China in the Shanghai office. I immediately said yes. Then one project came after another, then another, and then another. I’ve been in Shanghai for almost 2 years now.
3. Which projects have you done at W+K Shanghai so far?
My client in Shanghai is mainly Nike. I’m involved in a lot of Nike Basketball and Nike Sportswear projects.
4. Is there any difference between working in Tokyo and Shanghai? (work process, clients requests etc)
It is chaos versus chaos times 10. ;) But that’s just the style of Wieden+Kennedy. Chaos is what the agency thrives on. There is no formula. All process is organic. Everything comes from the heart.
5. I heard that because China is such a big country you have to consider different advertising style/technique for each city. What kind of adverting style/ technique work for people in Shanghai?
I am sure you will need a different strategy for a different market. But a great idea always comes first. Without it, any style or technique is just a style or technique.
6. In Japan, interactive ads/campaigns are getting very popular especially among fashion and sports wear brands. How about in Shanghai?
Definitely it is the same in Shanghai. Digital is huge in China.
7. If there are any projects with interactive elements produced by W+K Shanghai, please tell us.
There are quite a few. Off the top of my head…We produced an interactive football match for Nike Sportswear last year, an interactive comic book, again for Nike Sportswear, we made a Shanghai travel guide iPhone app few months ago and recently an iPhone game app for Nike Running.
8. Watching Chinese adverting industry from Japan, we can tell that there are many great international ad agencies in China but we cannot really see if there is any exciting small-sized production companies. (ex. GT inc. and Projecter in Tokyo) Do you know any of them in Shanghai? How can we find them?
China is still quite young when it comes to that area. But I have one in mind. Their name is Supernature, an interactive design team, a frequent collaborator with W+K Shanghai.
9. Please tell your future plan as a creator.
I am working on a mini show right now. It will feature collaborative work between me and Neasden Control Center from London. This show will happen in this april 1st for a month. It will be held in a boutique furniture shop named O.WW. More details to follow in mw company blog. (http://kimikowoo.blogspot.com/)
10.Please tell us your favourite place in Shanghai, which gives you lots of inspiration.
Bit cliché maybe. But I love the Bund. And I love to do hotel hopping with my wife, trying out new cafes and restaurants. It’s an endless search.
Thank you!
