The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2023–2024
Ajinomoto printed a newspaper that keeps lettuce fresh, as an ad
A newspaper printed with an ethylene-absorbing coating preserves lettuce; stores wrap lettuce in it, so the medium does the job.
Ajinomoto
the move
Ajinomoto's survey found 47% of shoppers had thrown out lettuce they couldn't finish and 49% didn't know how to store it, and the country's biggest lettuce-shipping month made this waste a live problem.
Its Cook Do oyster sauce, which works beautifully with lettuce, launched the '#Lettuce Instant-Disappearance Movement', including a newspaper printed with a coating that absorbs the ethylene gas that ripens and ruins lettuce.
Farm shops in the main lettuce regions of Gunma and Ibaraki used the preservation newspaper to wrap the lettuce they sold, so the advertisement itself kept the product fresh — making the medium the message and the product.
why it works
- The ad fulfils a real function, so the claim is demonstrated, not stated.
- It addresses a genuine consumer pain point (wasting lettuce) directly.
- Partnering with farmers and a media brand widens reach beyond paid spots.
- It positions the sauce as the answer to a problem shoppers already have.
what transfers
When your product solves a small daily problem, print the benefit into the medium itself so people feel it instead of reading about it.
what came after
The second wave in October 2023 ran the preservation newspaper in the Gunma and Ibaraki regional papers and wrapped lettuce at local farm shops with it, alongside a recipe site from Kadokawa's Lettuce Club. The work was awarded a Media Grand Prix at Spikes Asia 2024, validating a media-driven product idea that acts on the problem it advertises.
references
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