“Playful Solution”: A Core Philosophy at Dentsu Lab Tokyo

Dentsu Lab Tokyo is a creative R&D team dedicated to generating new experiences and solutions through the fusion of technology and creativity.

In an era saturated with information and accelerated by AI, expressions and choices are increasingly easy to mass-produce. As a result, advertising, products, and even lifestyles risk becoming homogenized. Against this backdrop, one belief remains central to our work: logic alone does not move people.

Human action is often triggered not by reason, but by intuition and emotion—a fleeting sense of curiosity, a desire to touch, to try, to feel. To create such entry points, Dentsu Lab Tokyo focuses on embedding joy, surprise, and memorable experiences into solutions themselves, so that problems are addressed while people are genuinely engaged.

This approach—where delight and resolution coexist—is what we call Playful Solution.

An R&D Environment Built on Making—and on the Assumption of Failure

The prototypes developed at Dentsu Lab Tokyo do not originate from client work. Precisely because they are independent from client assignments, team members are able to define their own challenges, work with their hands, and refine ideas through repeated experimentation and failure.

Insights and ideas gained through this trial-and-error process do not remain internal. Over time, they evolve into proposals that address real client needs and broader societal challenges. In fact, several initiatives born from this approach have grown into substantial businesses, attracting increasing attention from client organizations.

OPEN LAB 2025 also served as an opportunity to open this ongoing process—its methods, learnings, and current state—to the outside world.

Anticipating Questions—and Presenting Them as Experiences

The OPEN LAB 2025 exhibition featured 20 R&D prototypes exploring themes such as the expansion of human senses, the redesign of communication, the redefinition of value, and the exploration of new forms of relationships.

While each prototype differed in approach and expression, none were created solely to showcase novelty or technical ingenuity. All were designed with a conscious connection to social issues and business potential.

For example, NANDE CHAN is an AI-powered conversational plush robot designed to expand curiosity and imagination. Rather than simply providing answers, it offers hints, draws parallels, and presents related examples—encouraging deeper thinking through dialogue. Its appeal extends beyond children to adults as well, stimulating reflection and discovery through interaction. In addition to character-based use at events, the concept envisions applications in the development of educational products and services.

Another prototype, HAPTALE, employs a haptics technology called FANTOUCHIE to translate words from a narrative world into tangible sensations that can be physically felt. Because the system works even with imaginary or abstract descriptions, it enables users to experience textures they have never encountered before. The technology opens possibilities for more immersive gaming and reading experiences, inclusive products that can be enjoyed regardless of physical ability, and expressive tools for conveying product and brand worlds.

Dentsu Lab Tokyo does not stop at presenting engaging experiences. We place equal importance on translating the insights gained from these experiments into solutions for client challenges and broader social issues. Playfulness is not an end in itself—it is the starting point that drives thought, action, and innovation.