Announcement of the 15th BranCo! "Support" Brand Design Contest for University Students

BranCo! Official HP: https://branddesigncontest.com/

Hakuhodo Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kenji Nagura; hereinafter referred to as Hakuhodo), together with the University of Tokyo's College of Arts and Sciences, Center for the Advancement of Higher Education, will hold the 15th "BranCo!" brand design contest for university students.

"BranCo!" is an educational contest in a learning format launched by Hakuhodo with the aim of conveying the importance and appeal of "consumer insights" and "brand design," which are part of their daily work, to students.

Started in 2012 as an expanded project of the active learning course "Brand Design Studio" offered at the University of Tokyo's College of Arts and Sciences, it has so far attracted 8,193 students from over 150 universities.

This contest is a team-based competition where teams of 3 to 6 students collaborate to research a given theme from various perspectives, thoroughly consider its essence, and create compelling product and service brand ideas. Participating students can learn practical knowledge necessary for planning, such as Hakuhodo's core concepts of "consumer insights" and "co-creation," as well as "design thinking process," a business trend, through seminars and mentor advice. Furthermore, through the contest, they will enhance their abilities in "researching," "thinking," and "creating," which are the fundamental processes of all creative activities, and experience the difficulty and excitement of tackling "questions with no right answer" as a team. It is a contest that competes on the "comprehensive ability of ideas," including meticulous and logical analytical skills, bold creativity, and persuasive design skills, and attracts many students regardless of their faculty, whether humanities, science, or art. Last year, with the theme of "creativity," 586 students from 89 universities participated, and a very high level of competition was seen in the final presentations.

This year's theme is "Support." The fervor of sports, support through crowdfunding, the joy of "oshi-katsu" (supporting favorite idols/characters) that colors daily life, and interactions with AI that have become "my supporters." The acts and emotions surrounding "support" are expanding and diversifying more than ever. On the other hand, the word "ganbare" (do your best), which can sometimes be a double-edged sword, is no longer thrown around as casually as it once was. In this contest, we will tackle the theme of "support," which is in the midst of change, with an approach of "consumer insights" that creates new value by comprehensively understanding people and deeply observing them.

In the 15th BranCo!, we will explore the essential issues and possibilities surrounding "support" as envisioned by students, who are the main actors growing up in the modern era and living in the future. Through specific questions and well-crafted research, you will discover issues and possibilities, and then develop ideas for concrete brands (products and services) related to "support."

We look forward to the participation of many students again this year.

A brand design lecture, which will also serve as an explanation of the contest, will be held on July 8, 2026 (Wed.). The final presentation (scheduled to be open to the public) will be held on December 19, 2026 (Sat.).

【BranCo! Event Overview】

● Target Participants: University students (including junior college students), graduate students, and students in their 4th and 5th years of technical colleges. *If graduating in September, participants must be enrolled at the time of entry and not employed by a company at the time of the final presentation.

● Theme: Design new brands related to "Support"

● Schedule (tentative):

1) Brand Design Lecture by BranCo! (Planning Seminar & Information Session)

Date and Time: July 8, 2026 (Wed.) 18:30 - 21:30

Venue: Online

▼ For details on application, please check the "BranCo!" official website/social media.

Website https://branddesigncontest.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/brancohakuhodo/

X https://x.com/branco_info

* The end time may change depending on the content.

2) Preliminary Screening (Document-based screening)

Deadline for document submission: August 27, 2026 (Thu.) 12:00 PM (noon)

Announcement of passed teams: Scheduled for September 18, 2026 (Fri.)

3) First Round (Online presentation with video submission)

Deadline for video submission: October 21, 2026 (Wed.) 12:00 PM (noon)

Announcement of passed teams & Online Social Gathering: November 6, 2026 (Fri.)

4) Second Round & Final Presentation

Date and Time: December 19, 2026 (Sat.) (Morning: Second Round, Afternoon: Final Presentation)

Venue: University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus

* Only the afternoon final presentation is scheduled to be open to the public.

【Organizers】

Hakuhodo / University of Tokyo, College of Arts and Sciences, Center for the Advancement of Higher Education

【Sponsors】

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology / The Asahi Shimbun Company / Rikkyo University Business Design Research Institute

【Cooperation】

Hakuhodo Products Inc.

【Details】

● Achievements of Last Year's "14th BranCo! 'Creativity'"

Theme: Design new brands related to "Humanity"

Number of Participants: 149 teams from 89 universities (586 students)

Winning Team: "sarasa"

Participating Universities (Universities with 2 or more participants, in order of number of participants):

Waseda University, Doshisha University, Hosei University, Keio University, Rikkyo University, Mejiro University, Meiji University, Nihon University, Kanagawa University, Tokai University, Chukyo University, Toyo Gakuen University, Senshu University, Takasaki City University of Economics, Hitotsubashi University, Bunkyo Gakuin University, Osaka Keizai University, Tama Art University, Chuo University, Ritsumeikan University, Joshibi University of Art and Design, Fukuoka University, Seinan Gakuin University, Osaka University, Kokugakuin University, Tohoku University, Aoyama Gakuin University, Kyoto Sangyo University, Sanno University, Innovation Program, University of Shiga Prefecture, Chiba University, Kumamoto University, Kyoto University, Tokyo University of Technology, Kyushu University, Ochanomizu University, Toyo University, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Kanazawa University, Osaka University of Arts, Kobe University, Kansai University, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Shizuoka University, Musashino Art University, Kyoritsu Women's University, Gakushuin University, University of Tsukuba

● Scenes from Last Year's Event

- Preliminary Presentations (Preliminary Screening, First Round, Second Round)

<First Round>: 120 teams that passed the document screening and submitted presentation videos were divided into 8 blocks and judged simultaneously. At a later date, all ideas received full feedback from Hakuhodo employees who served as judges.

<Second Round>: 36 teams that passed the first round were divided into 6 blocks and gave presentations at the University of Tokyo's Komaba Campus. Immediately before the final presentation held on the same day, the rankings for each block were announced, and the top team from each block, a total of 6 teams, advanced to the final presentation.

- Final Presentation

The winner was "sarasa" with their presentation of "Omoide Garou," a new art appreciation brand that transforms art viewing from "passive" to "active" through "tsukkomi" (witty interjections).

The teams competed based on input, concept, and output, showcasing the results of several months of work. The presentations by the finalist teams, who had advanced through many stages, were of a high caliber.

【Organizers and Management Organization: Hakuhodo Consumer Insights Technology Lab】

Established in September 2024 with the aim of conducting research and development to promote consumer insights for client companies. Under the concept of "Future Consumer Insights," it conducts research, development, education, and dissemination related to "Consumer Insight Management," "Focused Consumer Insight," "Consumer Psychology and Behavior," "Co-creation of a Well-being Society," and "Creativity Based on Consumer Insights."

【University of Tokyo, College of Arts and Sciences, Center for the Advancement of Higher Education, Brand Design Studio】

"Brand Design Studio" is a special lecture program held at the University of Tokyo's College of Arts and Sciences' "21 KOMCEE" (Ideal Education Building) that conceives and develops new values such as products and brands through "co-creation" methods. Under the concept of "Tackling Questions with No Right Answer Together," it aims to learn "co-creation" methods applicable to society at large through active learning. All sessions are conducted in a workshop format, with Hakuhodo employees responsible for program design and facilitation. (Person in charge: Fumitaka Mafune, Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo)