Naked unveils new management in Tokyo

The new team consists of Kaz Maezawa, who launched the office alongside Shaw in 2007; executive creative strategists Nick Watanabe and Toru Yoshida; and Yoichiro Takagi, director of insight.

Maezawa said the new team would enable Naked to provide clients with “true radical solutions”.

Yoshida, the former strategic planning director at Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo, pointed to a “huge opportunity” for strategy-specialised companies to contribute to client business. He will lead planning at the agency and be responsible for developing service and products based on ‘behavioural change’ thinking.

Watanabe said communication strategies would hinge on “deep knowledge and understanding of technology and social media.

“The expansion of digital devices and social media has changed the way consumers get information in terms of both quality and quantity,” Takagi added. “It also leads to a change in purchase behaviour. Our mission is to further pursue how insights can be used to change their behaviour in this environment.”

The management team members come from diverse backgrounds. Maezawa is a former brand director for Nike. Takagi also has extensive experience in retail and brand management at the sportswear giant. Watanabe’s career began at the Nomura Research Institute, and prior to joining Naked he served as creative director at Beacon Communications. Yoshida initially joined Hakuhodo, later moving to Wieden+Kennedy to establish the agency’s planning team.

Shaw has assumed the role of global head of Naked Play, in which he will develop marketing services based on gamification for Naked’s global team.

Clients at Naked Tokyo include Coca-Cola, Sony, and Shiseido. The Naked network has a presence in 14 countries and was acquired by Australia’s Photon Group in 2008.