Yokota-Con
Yokota-Con 2023: A Pop Culture Pop-Up Draws Over 1,600 People
Milmark Award Winner
Installation: 374th FSS, Yokota AB
Category: FSS Brand Activation Marketing
Year: 2023
Campaign Summary
A dedicated webpage with thousands of views, a program guide with glossed paper for autographs, a custom logo featured on exclusive merchandise—all key components that led to Yokota-Con 2023 being one of the most successful events of the year.
Relevance to Category (Content Marketing)
The first iteration of this event happened pre-pandemic in 2019. The intention was for it to be an annual event, but the spread of COVID-19 prevented that. By the time Yokota-Con became a possibility again, the original event planners had already PCS’d. As it fell further in the rearview mirror, there was little to no public awareness that the event ever existed. Our hope was that we could relaunch Yokota-Con and strengthen a bilateral relationship with the host nation by deepening the local appreciation for their culture and art. We also wanted to foster an environment for the young airmen that are passionate about popular culture.
Campaign Overview/Objectives
The first iteration of this event happened pre-pandemic in 2019. The intention was for it to be an annual event, but the spread of COVID-19 prevented that. By the time Yokota-Con became a possibility again, the original event planners had already PCS’d. As it fell further in the rearview mirror, there was little to no public awareness that the event ever existed. Our hope was that we could relaunch Yokota-Con and strengthen a bilateral relationship with the host nation by deepening the local appreciation for their culture and art. We also wanted to foster an environment for the young airmen that are passionate about popular culture.
374th FSS Marketing Team
Eraina Burquez, Interim Director
Yoko Komiya, Commercial Sponsorship Coordinator
Sara Dunn, Graphic Designer
Takeshi Toyama, Graphic Designer
Aya Okamoto, Graphic Designer
Masaru Yoshihara, Graphic Designer
Shannon Hawkins, Office Clerk
Yumiko Royster, Web Specialist
Abigail O’Hare, Social Media Manager
Makoto Arita, Reproduction Manager
Masanori Ohno, Offset Press Operator
Insights & Strategy
There were few remaining original attendees of the event, but we arranged to meet with them and gather insight on what worked—or didn’t work—about the inaugural event in 2019. Similarly, we knew that to reinvigorate community interest, we would need to be sure we were inviting relevant talent to participate. Accordingly, we held focus groups to measure interest in possible acts, vendors, and influencers.
Concept/Big Idea
Pop culture in Japan is heavily influenced by anime. What better way to enrich that love than by bringing popular anime talent to Yokota? From prominent voice actors, to J-pop groups, to art studios—no goal was too lofty for Yokota-Con. Fan culture is alive and abundant in the Tokyo area. Whether someone was interested in iconic works like Star Wars, or the influential films of Studio Ghibli, there would be a place for them at Yokota-Con 2023. Once they walk through the door, they won’t want to leave—not without the promise that Yokota-Con will return.
Tactics/Creative Execution
We approached our goals in three different stages. First, we needed to secure appropriate talent. Our Commercial Sponsorship Coordinator secured talent acts like voice actress Mayumi Tanaka (One Piece, Castle in the Sky), musician NANO, and J-pop group MADKID. Outside of entertainment, sponsorship also secured participation from anime studios like D’ART Shtajio, Echelle Animation and more. The event was stacked with top talent. We knew that if we could get people through the door, there would be plenty to make them stay. It was this hope that brought about our second strategy: launching a webpage that included event info—and the sign-up for our cosplay contest that offered a $1,000 cash prize. As viewers scrolled through the page to submit their cosplay for entry, they made their way through our scheduled line-up, featured performers, and visiting vendors. The entire layout featured our third strategy, a bright and brilliant custom layout and logo, designed in-house by our talented graphic designers and plastered on stickers, shirts, program booklets, TV advertisements, sponsorship packages and more.
Results
The breadth of our campaign exceeded our expectations. Yokota-Con 2023, held on 4 March, became one of the largest events of the year with a turnout of over 1,600 participants. On social media, Yokota-Con posts exceeded 81,700 impressions. The dedicated webpage garnered over 3,800 views, with dozens of individuals signing up for the cosplay contest, completely filling (and beginning a waitlist of) the competition roster. Over $24,000 in sponsorship from 12 generous sponsors elevated the event to new heights.
Brand Building
Nearly all event coordination was conducted by the Marketing Office. Identifying the talent, creating the event schedule, overseeing the Cosplay Contest, and even MCing the event fell under our purview. It was a massive undertaking, but an entirely worthy endeavor. Our team enjoyed every minute!
All 2023 MilMark Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Age-Specific Marketing | 412th FSS Youth Art Gallery 412th FSS, Edwards AFB |
| Content Marketing | Yokota-Con 374th FSS, Yokota AB |
| Creativity & Innovation | Edwards T.E.S.T. 412th FSS, Edwards AFB |
| Digital, Social, or Mobile Marketing | Month of the Military Child Photo Contest and Giveaway 412th FSS, Edwards AFB |
| FSS Brand Activation Marketing | 460 FSS Strategic Branding 460th FSS, Buckley AFB |
| Spnsorship Experiential Marketing | The Advantage of Advertorials 100th FSS, RAF Mildenhall |
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Age-Specific Marketing | 412th FSS Youth Art Gallery 412th FSS, Edwards AFB |
| Content Marketing | Yokota-Con 374th FSS, Yokota AB |
| Creativity & Innovation | Edwards T.E.S.T. 412th FSS, Edwards AFB |
| Digital, Social, or Mobile Marketing | Month of the Military Child Photo Contest and Giveaway 412th FSS, Edwards AFB |
| FSS Brand Activation Marketing | 460 FSS Strategic Branding 460th FSS, Buckley AFB |
| Spnsorship Experiential Marketing | The Advantage of Advertorials 100th FSS, RAF Mildenhall |
