Planning for the Best: Why Rui Nago Probes into the Nature of Existence

Rui Nago walks the talk as chief strategy officer at Grey Tokyo, leading the agency to significant wins such as Spikes Asia Agency of the Year 2022 as well as 2021 APAC Effie wins for campaigns on Pride Hair (P&G) and VS Series Olympics (SKII).

Rui joined Grey in 2010 and has been instrumental in developing the brand, creative and communication strategies for many of Grey Tokyo’s global clients. 

LBB> What do you think is the difference between a strategist and a planner? Is there one? 

Rui> No difference really. But "strategist" sounds too intellectual and serious to me. I believe strategists in this industry should be more right-brained, more creative, more playful, and more curious about humanity compared to strategists in other industries, such as business consultancy or data analytics.  

LBB> And which description do you think suits the way you work best?

Rui> For the above reason, I'm a little embarrassed to be called a "strategist". I want to add something before "strategist", like "Creative strategist" or "brand strategist" it sounds more fitting though I know these are also not simple descriptors…

LBB> We're used to hearing about the best creative advertising campaigns, but what's your favourite historic campaign from a strategic perspective? One that you feel demonstrates great strategy?

Rui> Hmm… that's a tough question. But I love campaigns that embrace the imperfections that make us human —our fragility, selfishness, and insignificance, basically one that celebrates human nature in its wholeness. Harvey Nichols's "Sorry I Spent It On Myself" campaign is one of my favourites and one I really respect.

LBB> When you're turning a business brief into something that can inform an inspiring creative campaign, what do you find is the most useful resource to draw on?

Rui> "Document 72 Hours" is a Japanese TV documentary series where the director and cameraman stay in one location for, yes you guessed it,  72 hours! In many cases, they would feature an ordinary, but unique location, such as an unmanned thrift store, a fishermen's convenience store in northern Japan, or a sandwich stand in a nightlife district, interviewing people they encounter there. Through this, we get a glimpse into people's lives as they open up and share. These are real people whom we might never get to meet at a focus group.  

The program really reminds me of a simple fact that everyone, no matter who they are, has their own lives and stories, and they lead a life just like any of us. 

LBB> What part of your job/the strategic process do you enjoy the most?

Rui> The moment when I discover the "truth", one that provides us with a new perspective of our world. That's the moment of realisation that gives me an adrenaline rush, a sense of euphoria. 

LBB> What strategic maxims, frameworks or principles do you find yourself going back to over and over again? Why are they so useful? 

Rui> "Why does this brand exist in this era?" I tend to revisit this question over and over again. Keep asking this, and it reveals the core of the brand.

LBB> What sort of creatives do you like to work with? As a strategist, what do you want them to do with the information you give them?

Rui> There is a classical Japanese poetry style called renga, collaborative and improvisational poetry made by two poets. One poet creates the first part, and the second poet reacts to it with a latter part. It is an unexpected, thrilling poetry-writing process. I always love working with creatives with whom I can do renga together.

LBB> There's a negative stereotype about strategy being used to validate creative ideas, rather than as a resource to inform them and make sure they're effective. How do you make sure the agency gets this the right way round?

Rui> There is nothing else strategists can do other than to prove it. 

LBB> What have you found to be the most important consideration in recruiting and nurturing strategic talent? 

Rui> The ability of the strategist to look at the world from a different perspective. 

LBB> In recent years, it seems like effectiveness awards have grown in prestige and agencies have paid more attention to them. How do you think this has impacted how strategists work and the way they are perceived?

Rui> It's good for strategists. But at the same time, I think we've come to the point where the meaning of effectiveness should change. It should no longer be a "brand likability has increased xx%" type of effectiveness. Instead, it has to be more about how effective it is at changing old rules, laws, prejudices, biases and moving society forward through the power of brands and creativity.

LBB> Do you have any frustrations with planning/strategy as a discipline?

Rui> I feel we should be more open, going beyond the advertising sphere. We should provide our expertise and talent to support business transformation, new product creation, new service creation and more instead of just creating an advertising campaign. 

LBB> What advice would you give to anyone considering a career as a strategist/planner?

Rui> Keep your eyes on society and humans, not data.