In the lead-up to the ANDY Awards, we’re catching up with regional jurors from the creative industry to talk about what they look for in the jury room, emerging trends, some of their recent campaign work, and more.
This time we talk to Rei Inamoto, 2025 Jury Chair for Asia and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. A designer by trade, a minimalist at heart Inamoto leads the vision of the firm which has been named one of the Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
Before founding I&CO, Inamoto spent more than a decade at AKQA as Chief Creative Officer and five years at R/GA. During his career, he has worked with global brands including Nike, Microsoft, Audi, Google, Toyota, UNIQLO, JP Morgan Chase, and others.
In our conversation Rei Inamoto discusses creativity, minimalism, and the power of subtraction, what he looks as a creative juror, and more.
You’re described as a designer by trade and a minimalist at heart, with a talent for simplifying the complex. How do you think this influences your approach to creative work in advertising?
Advertising wasn’t an intentional career choice. I wanted to be a designer and, to this day, that’s what I associate myself with the most, the field of design, not advertising. For people outside of the advertising or the design industry, the difference between the two might not make much sense but I do draw a distinction – so do many people in these fields.
I never knew that design was seen more as an aesthetic craft whereas advertising as a conceptual craft. To me, design was and still is as much about the aesthetic as well as the conceptual craft.
“Advertising wasn’t an intentional career choice. I wanted to be a designer and, to this day, that’s what I associate myself with the most, the field of design, not advertising.”
Over the years, I’ve learned the power of subtraction. I suspect that comes from my Japanese upbringing and sensibility. My father ran a furniture and architecture company and I grew up watching Japanese carpentry, which is very much about subtraction. I believe that has influenced my current approach quite fundamentally.
You’re on the regional Chair of the ANDY Awards for 2025, beyond creativity, what qualities or elements make campaigns stand out in the jury room, regardless of category?
The definition of creativity that I liked the most comes from Joel Podolny, the founder/CEO of Honor Ed, an edtech startup in the US, and the former dean of Apple University, an in-house training program at Apple. He says creativity is “original thought combined with skillful action.” At the highest level, that’s what I’ll be looking for.
What is the importance of award shows in supporting and shaping the creative industries?
It used to be about giving recognition to agencies, production companies, and creatives. I’d like to see that expand and be more about giving confidence to young people. I’d also like to see it become more about recognizing brands and how creativity can shape their futures.
What is some recent campaign work you are most proud of?
Our Tokyo office is pumping out interesting work that isn’t really campaigns but business inventions and strategic solutions.
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Besides AI what interesting trends are you currently seeing in advertising in Japan?
The death of mass media has been talked about since the rise of the Internet a quarter of a century ago and I think it’s now complete.
For the next decade, we will see the rise of creators and independent media, in Japan, the rest of Asia, and around the world. I find that very interesting and how it may shape the future of brands.
This is part of a series of interviews done in collaboration with the ANDY Awards. Watch the discussion inside the Judging Room here.
