Canva makes peace, not war (but almost starts one) | The Work | Campaign Asia

Canva has launched the second edition of its ‘Make it Unbelievable’ campaign in Japan,

The new campaign, ‘Takeshi’s Peace Treaty’ created by UltraSuperNew Tokyo, follows up on the previous campaign video, ‘Shiba Inu Swimming School’, which garnered over 80 million views and was shortlisted for a Cannes Lions award.

Reuniting iconic actors Takeshi Kitano and Gekidan Hitori, the ad transports viewers to medieval Japan, where the two embody rival warlords finally ready to bury the hatchet (or should we say, katana?). But peace hangs precariously in the balance when Kitano proudly presents a Canva-crafted social media post celebrating the occasion. Hitori, stunned by the design’s quality, accuses Kitano of outsourcing his creativity, throwing the nation back into turmoil.

The ad cleverly plays on the universal experience of witnessing Canva’s surprisingly professional results. It’s a relatable, chuckle-worthy scenario that underscores the platform’s core message: anyone can create stunning visuals, regardless of their design experience.

“We are delighted to bring Canva even closer to Japanese audiences through this campaign, once again starring the much-loved Takeshi Kitano and Hitori Gekidan,” said Kagan Sen, country manager of Canva Japan.

“This showcases how Canva makes creativity and design accessible to all. We hope to show that with access to visual communication tools like Canva, anyone can design anything—even without prior experience.”

Campaign’s take: By tapping into Kitano’s samurai movie fame and injecting humour into a historical setting, Canva crafts a memorable and culturally relevant campaign. It seamlessly blends Japanese cultural icons, historical tropes, and modern-day scepticism towards easily achievable design skills. The result is a humourous, impactful campaign that solidifies Canva’s position as the go-to platform for accessible creativity. 

Given the backlash from Apple’s recent advertisement in Thailand, which relied heavily on stereotypes, kudos to Canva for avoiding unintended cultural insensitivity.

CREDITS

Advertiser: Canva
Creative agency: UltraSuperNew Tokyo
Creative director: Francois Claverie
Production: Aoi Pro.
Media buying: IREP Inc.