Could your everyday office become a product launch venue!? A PR representative reports from the Happy Kuji “Seven-Eleven” product launch event

Hello! I’m Umezawa from SUNNY SIDE UP.

“Convenience store lotteries” are hard to miss when you step into a convenience store.Many of you may find yourselves checking them while waiting at the register, thinking, “Is there anything cute…?” (I’m one of them, too!)

At SUNNY SIDE UP, we actually plan and develop the “Happy Kuji” lotteries sold at convenience stores, hobby shops, and more.

This “Happy Kuji” will go on sale at “Seven–Eleven” starting Friday, March 13!To mark the launch, we held a product launch event today, Thursday, March 12, the day before release.And the venue was none other than the SUNNY SIDE UP office!

SUNNY SIDE UP handled this event end-to-end—from casting to event operations—for the launch of this lottery, which we plan and develop as an in-house business. As a PR company that works with IP content, it became a true “all-hands-on-deck” event across departments.In this article, Umezawa from the PR team will report on what the day of the event was like!

What went on behind the scenes in developing Happy Kuji “Seven–Eleven”!

To begin, Toru Sasakawa and Tsuyoshi Yazaki of Seven–Eleven Japan, along with Yamahata from the SUNNY SIDE UP product development team, took the stage to introduce the appeal of this lottery and the story behind its development.

Regarding how the lottery came to be developed, Mr. Yazaki explained, “When we were exploring how to leverage Seven–Eleven’s IP, we focused on entertainment lotteries that are popular in stores and thought about whether we could use the IP.” Mr. Sasakawa shared behind-the-scenes details about the LAST Prize “Tear-Apart Bread Cushion,” saying, “We went through a lot of trial and error, making prototypes again and again, and we were particular about how faithfully we could reproduce details like the browning and the feel.” Yamahata also shared an episode that reflects the product’s attention to detail, noting about the B Prize Seven Café charm, “Because the embroidery is so intricate, we visited the factory many times to make adjustments.”

A special guest appears: Sayuri Matsumura, a devoted fried chicken lover!

Our special guest was none other than Sayuri Matsumura, who has openly declared her love of fried chicken and even performed as part of the unit “Karaage Sisters” during her time in Nogizaka46!

Matsumura appeared holding the grand prize “BIG! Plush Karaage Stick,” which also became a hot topic on social media when the release was announced. She greeted everyone cheerfully, saying, “Sayuringo has become Mama-ringo! I’m here to deliver Happy to everyone!” She added, “It’s my first time in my life holding a karaage stick this big! I’d be so happy if I could eat one this size.” She also delighted the crowd with a very Matsumura-like remark: “Even at this size, I could finish it easily.”

So nervous…! Trying the Happy Kuji “Seven–Eleven” lottery draw ahead of everyone else!

Matsumura tried drawing the lottery, which goes on sale tomorrow. While wondering which one to pick, she experienced the draw with excitement, saying, “Happy-ringo~!”

The result was the C Prize Bread Pouch! When she saw the bread pouch handed to her by staff, she commented with unmistakable delight, “It’s amazing how they’ve recreated so many varieties, from butterscotch to melon pan! But since I’m from Kansai, I love the chewy okonomiyaki bread!”

On sale starting Friday, March 13!

This highly appealing Happy Kuji “Seven–Eleven” is scheduled to go on sale sequentially starting tomorrow, Friday, March 13, and costs ¥850.30 (tax included) per draw.

For participating stores, please check the official website.

https://www.h-kuji.com/goods/seven-eleven/

*Availability may be discontinued at some stores, and the release timing may vary by store.
*Some stores may not carry the product.
*Please refrain from contacting stores directly.

In Closing

How was it?

Seeing Matsumura visit the office where I work every day, and witnessing so many media cameras lined up, made me strongly feel that this was an event that could only happen because it was SUNNY SIDE UP.

From the planning stage—asking, “What kind of product design would be interesting?”—to devising ways to make the event even more enjoyable, and all the way up to the day itself, we prepared with meticulous attention to detail, asking, “Where should we place equipment and fixtures to ensure smooth operations?” All of it was driven by our desire to create an event that conveys the appeal of Happy Kuji.

It truly feels like we were able to create this “fun commotion” by bringing together the efforts of members across various departments from scratch!

And when I see posts and feedback from people who actually purchased it, or spot someone in town using a Happy Kuji item, I feel, “It really reached them,” and it makes me genuinely happy.

When you stop by Seven-Eleven, please be sure to check out Happy Kuji “Seven-Eleven”!

At SUNNY SIDE UP, we handle PR communications for a wide range of IP content as well as products and services, including Happy Kuji. What can be made possible through the power of communication? We welcome inquiries starting from that kind of consultation as well. Please feel free to contact us via the “CONTACT” button below.