Back in 2017, a striking billboard appeared across entire height of a building opposite Japan's Shibuya Station, marking the sixth anniversary of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. The ad has recently reappeared on Reddit, where it is provoking emotional responses all over again.
The ad includes a bold red line which indicates the height of the tsunami, and how that would have looked if it had reached Shibuya. It's a shocking demonstration of the sheer scale and power of the natural disaster, one that, like all the best billboard ads, lingers in the mind long after being viewed.
The translated billboard reads: "Six years have already passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. On 3-11, in Iwate Prefecture's Ofunato City, the maximum height at which the tsunami was observed as 16.7 meters. If [it] had happened here, in the middle of Ginza, it would be exactly this [red line's] height. Just by knowing how high it is, the actions we take can change. We can make preparations here and now."
An image of the billboard is currently the top post on Reddit's r/DesignPorn page. "I feel a twist in my heart when I see this," one X user comments, while another adds, "I cannot forget the fear and shock of that day."
But while the ad is certainly powerful, it's also provoking another kind of unease. The fact that it's ultimately promoting a brand – in this case, Yahoo Japan, isn't sitting well with everyone. "We will not forget that day. This is the best form of disaster prevention. This is what Yahoo believes in," read the final lines of the ad.
"Piggy backing a tragedy for an ad, dystopian," reads one Reddit comment, while another adds, "An incredible message that I was jarred out of at the last line. Yahoo!" Another users pithily summarises, "Billboard reminders are definitely the best form of disaster prevention lol."
Still, it's certainly a powerful and sobering ad. For more design inspiration, take a look at the best print ads of all time.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
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