The team’s catchphrase is “Heart of SHIBUYA”! A behind-the-scenes look at the PR for Shibuya Scramble Square [Part 1]
When you look up over the streets of Shibuya, one building stands out, towering above the rest. Comprising an observation facility, offices, a co-creation facility, and commercial spaces, the 47-story Shibuya Scramble Square is the largest mixed-use complex in the Shibuya area—and the tallest.
Built on the concept of “Blending, creating, and reaching the world,” the facility opened in November 2019 as a new landmark directly connected to—and built above—Shibuya Station. Today, it is known not only as a symbol of Tokyo, but as one of Japan’s most iconic destinations.
What secrets lay behind the PR communications and branding that made Shibuya Scramble Square a name everyone knows? We spoke in an interview format with three key people who led the facility’s PR.
(Panelists: Ms. Rina Yamanaka, Senior Chief, Business Management Division, Administration Department, Shibuya Scramble Square Co., Ltd.; Ms. Yoko Machida, Director, POZI Department, Innovation Consulting Division, Tokyu Agency Inc.; Mr. Shinnosuke Iwasaki, General Manager, Department 4, Bureau 1, Public Relations Division Headquarters, SUNNY SIDE UP Inc.)
■ “A major culmination” of the Shibuya Station Area Redevelopment Project
—First of all, congratulations on the first anniversary of the opening. Could you tell us how you came to be involved in the project?
Yamanaka (honorifics omitted below):
I joined the project about a year and a half before the facility opened. I had heard from members who had worked on the opening of “Shibuya Hikarie” that being involved in a facility opening was an incredibly valuable experience, so I had always wanted to be part of one. I raised my hand and joined the project team—it was the moment one of my dreams came true (laughs).
However, in my case, I started with absolutely no experience in PR for a facility opening. The PR professionals supported me in so many ways, including teaching me know-how and methods.
—So this was your first experience with a facility opening. What vision did you set as you carried out the PR?
Yamanaka:
Shibuya Scramble Square can be described as a major culmination of the Shibuya Station Area Redevelopment Project that has continued since the opening of “Shibuya Hikarie” in 2012. In that context, I wanted this facility to become a central presence in Shibuya—like the “Red Ranger” in a ranger series (laughs). With the Tokyo Olympics approaching, I wanted to “set off a big firework.”
Machida:
It was also a major milestone within the Shibuya Station Area Redevelopment Project—so it was like the “main stronghold,” wasn’t it?
Iwasaki:
Shibuya is a city that draws attention from around the world. When working on the PR, I wanted it to become a place so compelling that “people from all over the world would come to Japan specifically for Shibuya Scramble Square.” I also hoped it would remain a “hot spot” even in the era when today’s children grow up.
—That must have come with a lot of pressure, didn’t it?
Yamanaka:
Because there were successful precedents like “Shibuya Hikarie,” we were often compared. With so many stakeholders involved in this project, the pressure was significant.
Iwasaki:
It was an extremely large project, and personally it also coincided with the timing of taking on a leadership role, so I felt the pressure. Still, I wanted to see it through. There were times I felt like the pressure might crush me (laughs), but I am truly glad I took on the challenge.
■ The key keyword for facility branding: “Heart of SHIBUYA”
—How did you design the PR communications?
Machida:
For the Shibuya Scramble Square project, our creative director first proposed the core concept. We refined it together with the facility team, and then designed the overall PR communications plan in line with that concept.
This was a very large project, and each component facility (the observation facility, offices, the co-creation facility, and commercial spaces) has a different purpose and character.
If we focused too much on just one facility, the overall picture would end up completely different from what we envisioned, so we concentrated on moving forward while keeping a bird’s-eye view of the whole.
We also held workshops with the entire project team across the different facilities, with participants including the SUNNY SIDE UP team and our own members, and we repeatedly worked together to confirm the direction.
—Was there a keyword that emerged during the workshops?
Machida:
It came from Mr. Iwasaki’s idea during the workshops, but the phrase “Heart of SHIBUYA” (the heart of Shibuya) became an important touchstone that each member of the project team could return to. Of course, it wasn’t easy to come up with, but it was born from bright, lively, forward-looking brainstorming.
Iwasaki:
The word “heart” carries the meaning of “center,” and also the meaning of a “pump,” like the heart itself. We wanted it to be like a pump that brings change and newness to Shibuya—a place where many people come into the facility, gain something, and then go back out into the world. That was the idea behind it.
—I see. So specifically, what was the aim of the PR communications?
Iwasaki:
Because it was such a large project, we were confident it would attract interest from many media outlets. However, if we remained passive, it could ultimately lead to negative exposure for the facility. Therefore, we worked strategically to secure coverage that would leave a positive impression of the facility.
By sharing information in a planned way from the pre-opening stage and contacting media outlets each time, we worked to “update the media’s image” of the facility.
It was gratifying that, just as intended, we were able to create an effective wave of coverage that also contributed to attracting visitors, during the rush of media coverage from the preview event right before opening through to the opening itself.
Yamanaka:
What left an impression on me was that everyone on the PR team, including Ms. Machida and Mr. Iwasaki, kept saying, “Please accept interviews as much as possible!” (laughs). Of course, that was with the understanding that we would review the content of each request.
Machida:
PR communications around the opening period are extremely important. I had complete trust in the interview opportunities that the SUNNY SIDE UP PR team worked so hard to secure, and because of that, even when coordination was difficult, I felt strongly that “we want you to respond to everything!”
Yamanaka:
Because the PR team brought us high-quality interview opportunities, we trusted them and accepted the interviews. It was something we could do because there was a relationship of trust.
Iwasaki:
We also received praise from media outlets for the way we were set up to handle interviews for Shibuya Scramble Square. In particular, the observation facility “SHIBUYA SKY,” located about 230 meters above ground, had detailed rules for filming. By stepping in and negotiating repeatedly—finding the right balance between safety and the media’s requests—we were able to achieve the exposure and output we were aiming for.
Machida:
Because it was a team we could trust, we were determined to fully accommodate the interview opportunities that the SUNNY SIDE UP team secured.
