In a market saturated with aspirational messaging, I designed a one-page ad for Japan Airlines featuring Shohei Ohtani in the April issue of Bungei Shunjū, one of Japan’s most influential literary magazines. With Ohtani partnering with 18 other companies, the challenge was to create an ad that stood apart.

While most brands centered their messaging on themes like “dreams,” “the future,” and “goals,” we took a different approach—highlighting Ohtani’s everyday, human side. To achieve this, I selected a candid photo of him smiling, capturing his natural charm. A solid background and ample white space kept the design clean and focused, directing focus to the copy and Ohtani himself.