For the 20th anniversary event of the radio drama “NISSAN Abe Reiji ～ BEYOND THE AVERAGE ～,” we developed and deployed the participatory experience “Mission ABE Impossible — Investigate and Report on Company N on Abe Reiji’s Behalf!” at the Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery. In this mission-based format, listeners step in as Abe Reiji’s “stand-ins,” visit five on-site spots, report back by phone, and collect stamps as they progress—bridging the program’s world into a real-life experience.
We are responsible for creative production and planning.
Background
At the milestone 20th anniversary, it was essential to offer listeners coming from across Japan an experience that goes beyond “just listening” and becomes something that “comes alive through participation.” With the event held at the Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery and featuring a live broadcast on the day, the design needed to convert the venue’s overall energy into an active, on-site experience.
Creative Idea
We translated the show’s premise—“Abe Reiji is too busy to go himself”—directly into a compelling reason for participation, appointing visitors as Abe Reiji’s “stand-ins.” Participants move through five spots, investigate each location, report back by phone, and clear the mission by collecting stamps.
Challenge
In an environment with a large number of visitors, the challenge was to create an experience that anyone could join intuitively, while preserving the show’s signature “phone-based banter” and narrative tone. At the same time, the experience had to naturally encourage movement throughout the venue and leave participants with a sense of achievement and a memorable takeaway.
Execution
We designed a five-spot mission route within the Nissan Global Headquarters Gallery and implemented a clear participation flow (explore → report → stamp → complete) so visitors could proceed without confusion. Participants who completed all five stamps received an official “correct-answer” postcard, adding motivation to finish and a tangible memento to take home.
Results
On the day of the event, more than 21,000 listeners gathered from across Japan. By transforming the show’s world into on-site actions, we delivered a participatory experience that connected large-scale attendance energy to “movement,” “participation,” and “completion.”
