Almost 50% of yearly visits across Japan’s 35 national parks are to Fuji-Hakone-Izu alone. The environment and local communities will continue to suffer if tourist distribution doesn’t improve.
To solve this, Parks & Japan is developing a portfolio of brands that will engage and influence tourists through fun product experiences, driving sales & loyalty through delight & collectibility. Long-term support for Japan’s national parks will be funded by a percentage of profits.
National park collectibles brand, Poketto, will launch with Field Quests – a 35-piece series of activity booklets featuring enamel pins. With a unique theme and inventory for each national park, Field Quests will create a strong sense of place whilst incentivising visits to all 35 locations. Initially launching in English, they will target visitors from the UK, North America, and Australia. Translated and localised versions for domestic tourists are expected to launch in the future.
At a later stage, the second brand to launch will be Parklander, a Shinto-inspired trading card game based on the landscapes, culture, wildlife, and legends of Japan’s 35 national parks. Compelling storytelling drives people to visit shooting locations from their favourite movies, and similarly, Parklander will inspire people to venture into rural Japan. I will use narrative and game mechanics to simulate a positive relationship with nature whilst eliminating the TCG burnout and buy-to-invest culture that plagues the industry, increasing the product’s emotional value and ultimately boosting sales.
Digital destination promotion can not solve this problem. Neither can short-term projects that produce isolated spikes of impact. There is only one thing that can engage people over and over, year after year, and have the capacity to reinvent the form of its value without changing the value itself. That thing is a brand.
To learn more, read the project strategy below.
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Email Michelle at hello@pointnorthbrandco.com to discuss opportunities for investment, production, or partnerships.
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