[Present! Going on the offensive with a change of pace! The ambitions of the outdoor brand "Aozora Gear" by Slow Curve, an animation advertising and production company [Gemba of Collaboration No. 20

Today, with the increasing collaboration between various industries and subcultures such as anime and voice acting, there are many people who say, "Whoa, they're doing it! You're doing it," "What? You did it! and "Oh, you're doing it!" and "What? Akiba Research Institute is going to visit the sites where these "collaborations" are being planned and ask about the appeal of the projects, interesting episodes, hardships, and other behind-the-scenes stories about the production! This series is called "Gemba of Collaboration.

In this 20th installment, we will be featuring the character outdoor goods brand "AOZORAGEAR". Slow Curve Co., Ltd. is involved in planning and producing animation, promotion of animation, music, and games, as well as planning, producing, and selling unusual and interesting character goods, with a focus on original projects. The brand will be launched in 2021, and an e-commerce site "AOZORAGEAR online SHOP" was opened in June this year.

The brand's first character, "Hatsune Miku," has sold out one after another. With the global camping boom, the brand has already become a hot topic among outdoor enthusiasts. While talking to Slow Curve CEO Makoto Kamijo about the brand's launch, response, and future prospects, IP manager Takashi Kasahara has been a topic of conversation since the announcement of the project!　We also asked Mr. Takashi Kasahara, who is in charge of IP, to talk about the story behind the birth of the "Fist of the North Star" "End of the Century Camp" goods that will be released this fall.

The popularity of "YuruCamp△" was the decisive factor in the launch of this company.

T] Could you tell us how "AOZORAGEAR" was born?

Kamijo: We have developed several products in the past, mainly from anime that we were involved in advertising. The work that led us to set up a department and start product development was "YuruCan△. When we sold the campers' popular campfire grill B-6-kun (a super compact fire pit that folds up to the size of a B6) and a handy pocket warmer that can be used repeatedly by refueling it with lighter oil in a special "Yuru Can△" version, we quickly sold out of 100 and 200 units. Due to the nature of the product, it could not be mass-produced, and the response was so strong that there were customers who wanted one but could not purchase it. Unfortunately, the product became such a hot topic that there were even resales, but we decided to open an e-commerce site because we wanted to deliver the product at a fair price to those who really wanted to buy it.

Product development involves inventory risk, but from the company's perspective, our aim is to add a merchandise production and sales department to the two axes of anime promotion and planning/production, so that the three departments can produce a comprehensive effect.

Kamijo: Why did you choose outdoor goods?

Kamijo: The name of our company, "Slow Curve," means "a change of pace. Of course, we also produce clear files and acrylic stands, which are standard items for outdoor goods, but these alone are not interesting and do not create a hit product that will be talked about by the public. I tell our staff that we always want to come up with products that other companies do not offer and that make people grin when they see them. The main reason for this was that we were involved in the promotion of "YuruCan△," and fortunately there was also a camping boom, so I thought we couldn't miss out on this opportunity. The fact that we have staff members who love the outdoors within the company was also a big factor, but I don't think any ordinary company would have had the audacity to combine "Fist of the North Star" with camping products, do you?　(laughs). It is truly a change of pace idea.

It's easy to imagine the kind of outdoor goods you would like to have from "Yuru Can△," but "Fist of the North Star" made me laugh quite a bit.

Kamijo: "YuruCan△" has a fixed fan base and is very popular, and to some extent it was "visible. It sells well and has potential for a variety of goods, but if we were to focus only on "YuruCan△," we would end up with a store specializing in "YuruCan△. So we chose "Hatsune Miku" as the first character for the launch of the brand and brought in "Fist of the North Star" to make an impact if we were to launch an e-commerce site (laughs). (Laughs.) Actually, the survival world of "Fist of the North Star" is an outdoor world, isn't it?　(Laughs). The conversation grew and grew from there.

I was more surprised than surprised at the idea of Hatsune Miku and the outdoors at first. came to mind.

Kamijo: Actually, camping equipment is often used as daily necessities. Naturally, they can also be used at home, and if it is something like a water bottle, there is nothing strange about having it with you in your daily life. I thought that if it was a camping item, but light enough to be used in everyday life, it could be used for "Hatsune Miku," which doesn't have the same obvious outdoorsy image as "Yuru Can△.

Hatsune Miku x AOZORAGEAR Stout Air 1000
Regular price ¥2,750

Kamijo: Yes, there were definitely products that could be used on a daily basis.

Kamijo It is true that making tents and sleeping bags would give the impression of a camping goods e-commerce site. But considering cost and lot size, it is less risky to start with light items. Right now, we have many products that are light and accessible to a wide range of users, but now that we have launched as a brand, we would like to develop as many full-fledged products as possible in the future. Since we are an outdoor brand, we plan to handle more than just camping goods.

I've heard rumors about the success of the B-6 fire grill and the Kerorin tub from the "YuruCan△" fans around me. Tell us about the other hot sellers so far.

Kamijo: For "Hatsune Miku," "Handy Handy Warmer" and "Stout Air," which we teamed up with the brand, sold quite well. We felt that the "Hatsune Miku" fans were reaching out to them. The "Kerorin Oke" sold unexpectedly well. Not only fans of the work, but also older people were nostalgic for the product itself, and many said that the yellow color stood out and was cute even if they did not know the item or the work when it was placed at the event. Perhaps it was also a good thing that the price was easy to purchase.

We are now also offering sauna towels and sauna hats (sold out) collaborated with "Yuru Can△," and we have collaborated with the tenugui towel brand "Kamawanu" and the brand "MOKU" popular among sauners. Thankfully, there happens to be a sauna boom here as well, and sales have been quite good (laughs). (laughs) In order to broaden the range of our products, we would like to continue to introduce more and more collaborations that combine several brands and anime.

YuruCan△ sauna hat SOLD OUT

MOKU x YuruCan△ Towel
Regular price 1,980 yen

Behind the Scenes of "Hokuto" Merchandise, Made Positively Positive by the Publisher

Let's talk about the "Fist of the North Star" collaboration, a series of "Fist of the North Star" outdoor goods planned based on the concept of "end-of-the-century camping" as a highlight of the opening of the e-commerce site. All of these items are items that fans will want to get even if they are not used in the outdoors. There are many offensive goods, but what kind of communication did you have with the publisher?

Mr. Kasahara, IP Manager (Kasahara): For "Fist of the North Star," I really appreciated the fact that the publisher was in the mood for it. The reality of collaboration is that even if you are in the mood to talk about it in meetings, when it comes time to talk about something like ...... using this scene, you often get NG. But he said, "You can make a collage of manga," and I thought it would be fun to have the "Four Hokuto Brothers" (Raoh, Toki, Jagi, and Kenshiro) camp out together. It was a bit surreal, but they were very pleased with the idea.

In fact, about two weeks before the launch of the e-commerce site, we put out a visual announcing that we were going with "Fist of the North Star," and the response was quite strong. ...... About a month before the release, a staff member from another department came up with the idea of making a T-shirt with this visual, and we hastily added it to the list of goods. It was a very flurry of activity, but it was a happy development. The staff involved in the planning process have such a strong love for the works that meetings and conferences often take far longer than expected. Everyone has their own non-negotiable preferences (laughs). (laugh) In that sense, there are many hardships, but I try to enjoy them because of our "love for the work. The time we spend exchanging ideas is truly fulfilling.

Fist of the North Star 4 Brothers Camp T-Shirt
Regular price ¥4,180

Arafune Panorama Camping Field

T-shirts are also available for purchase at the Arafune Panorama Camping Field.

Kasahara Yes. We would like to develop not only products but also projects in the future. The background of this project is that Saku City in Nagano Prefecture, where Arafune Panorama Camp Field is located, is the hometown of Mr. Buronson, the original author of "Fist of the North Star," and since the 35th anniversary of "Fist of the North Star" in 2018, we are collaborating with the catchphrase "Come to Saku City! was the catchphrase for the collaboration, which was made possible by the At the Arafune Panorama Camping Field reception desk, there will be sales of Century Camping goods and a photo spot with visuals of the Four Hokuto Brothers camping. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the world of Fist of the North Star while actually experiencing the comfort of the "End of the Century Camping" goods! Thanks to your support, reservations for this project have been brisk and some dates are already booked. We are very confident about this project and hope that many people will enjoy it.

Arafune Panorama Camp Field

Arafune Panorama Camp Field

Kamijo: We are planning to release products for the popular anime starting in October, and it will be the season when our popular handheld pocket warmer will start selling. I have the impression that this product has already become a standard item since it can be used not only for outdoor activities but also for commuting to work and school, in line with the SDGs. In the past, there were cases where the product was oversold and resold, and we were sometimes bothered that we could not deliver the product to customers who really wanted it. We have a history of launching an e-commerce site so that we can take such countermeasures. This year, I believe that customers will be able to purchase our products comfortably and with peace of mind.

We would like to provide items that will please our customers and improve the quality of our products, while taking a variety of different approaches. We, the planners, also want to maintain our sense of "what we really want. We are very happy when a brand that we are attached to or a manufacturer that makes good products becomes widely known through collaboration with a work of art or a character. It is also a pleasure to see the quality of the works and characters improve as a result of these collaborations.

How far will outdoor goods expand? I am confident and hopeful that the products currently in progress and those in the planning stages will be quite interesting, and I hope to continue to produce interesting products in the future.

(Reporting and writing by Shinobu Tanaka)

Outline of Present Campaign

<Prizes
In commemoration of the "Aozora Gear" interview, we are giving away a "YuruCan△ Mini Wood Candle" to one lucky winner!

<Entry requirements

Entry period: October 11, 2022 (Tue) - October 18, 2022 (Tue) 23:59
Number of winners: 1
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Fist of the North Star" ©Takeru Takemono, Tetsuo Hara / Coamix 1983, copyright license GX-702

Yuru Can △" ©Afro, Houbunsha/Outdoor Activities Committee

Hatsune Miku" Art by Hechima © CFM