Katori Shingo appointed as public relations mascot for earthquake insurance! A commercial showing his light-hearted exchange with "Jishingo"-kun will also be aired

■ “Through this commercial, I hope to raise awareness of the importance of living in and housing after an earthquake.” (Katori Shingo)

The General Insurance Association of Japan (GISA) will be airing a new commercial, “Shingo and Jishingo,” featuring Katori Shingo and the Muppet “Jishingo” nationwide from August 29th in order to widely spread awareness of the importance of earthquake insurance and promote its spread.

On New Year’s Day 2024, the “2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake” occurred. Japan is said to be one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, and has experienced numerous major earthquakes across the country in the past, including the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake.

In preparation for earthquakes, which can occur at any time, people tend to focus on what to do “before” or “just after” an earthquake occurs, such as preparing disaster prevention supplies, evacuation sites, and contact methods. However, it is difficult to imagine how to rebuild one’s life and finances after an earthquake, and interest in this is still low.

So, in order to help people understand the importance of earthquake insurance in life after an earthquake, Katori Shingo was appointed as the new PR mascot, as someone who can convey the difficult message of “earthquake insurance” in a polite and gentle manner. A new TV commercial and web commercial were also produced with Katori’s look-alike Muppet character “Jishingo-kun” to encourage people to think about life after an earthquake.

In the new commercial, Katori and “Jishingo”-kun light-heartedly poke fun at misconceptions about earthquake preparedness, and teach viewers to be aware of life after an earthquake and the importance of earthquake insurance.

The voice of “Jishingo” is provided by Katori, and the light-hearted dialogue between the two characters is one of the highlights.

■CM Concept
In the new TV commercial, Katori Shingo and a Muppet character named “Jishingo,” who looks just like Katori, clearly explain the importance of earthquake insurance, to help people understand that earthquake insurance is not just insurance for repairing buildings and belongings, but an insurance that plays an important role in rebuilding lives after an earthquake.
In conjunction with the airing of the new TV commercial, two types of web commercials and five types of short vertical videos will also be released, as well as short vertical videos for each area with a low rate of earthquake insurance coverage (Hokkaido, Saga, Nagasaki, and Okinawa).

■Web commercial content
“The truth and the truth – Fire insurance”
The “Fire caused by an earthquake is scary, isn’t it?” “But we have fire insurance…” episode, “Shingoto Ji Shingo ~ Fire Insurance ~,” begins with this conversation, and conveys the fact that fire insurance does not cover damage caused by fires caused by earthquakes, making people aware of the importance of preparing for fires with earthquake insurance.

“For Renters”
“It would be terrible if our house were destroyed in an earthquake,” “We’re renting, so it doesn’t matter, right?” The “News and Homes – For Renters” episode begins with this conversation, and conveys that earthquake insurance money can be used for a variety of purposes, such as replacing broken home appliances and moving costs, and is useful even for renters in their lives after an earthquake.

■ Filming episodes
Katori and “Jishingo” met for the first time during filming. At the beginning, they had difficulty coordinating their dialogue, and even had a hard time holding the flip chart with “Earthquake Insurance” written on it horizontally. As they cooperated, trying different positions to hold the chart, Katori and “Jishingo” gradually grew closer, and by the end they had become good friends. Katori said that he would like to continue working with “Jishingo” in the future.

■ Comment from Shingo Katori
There are many places in this country where large earthquakes occur, and while we never know when a big earthquake will strike, we hope that through this commercial we can raise awareness of the importance of living and housing after an earthquake.
I believe that even now after the earthquake, there are still many people living in difficult conditions, but when I actually go there, I see people there looking forward and doing their best, and both adults and children welcome me with smiles on their faces.
At a time when we may be a little distant and our conversations may seem distant, I want to convey that even though we are far apart, our hearts are one.