Kinryu turns its dragon's forced tail removal into Osaka's joke — ACC 2025 Grand Prix

Dotonbori in Osaka is famous for its towering 3D signboards, and the dragon above Kinryu Ramen was one of the street's most photographed landmarks. Then came a legal blow: the dragon's tail overhung neighbouring property, a removal order became final, and in August 2024 the tail was physically cut off. News coverage and social media turned against the brand — a crisis that could have fixed a lasting bad reputation.

Instead of managing the story, Hakuhodo and Ozma PR gave it a sense of humour. The cut section became a detailed 'tail scar' that wept a tear. The severed tail was mounted in the claws of the crab restaurant's giant sign across the street, creating the story that the neighbour crab had cut it — human legal logic replaced by an absurd Osaka joke. A wall ad for a venerable knife brand played on the 'cut', and a one-week collaboration with Meat & Livestock Australia served 1,400 lamb-topped 'Golden Sheep Ramen' bowls during the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

The project turned a court defeat into nationwide entertainment: 65 TV programmes with over 153 minutes of coverage, 1,135 web media and 20 newspaper mentions, and more than 16,800 posts on X. Campaign awareness reached 56% in Kansai and 37% across Japan; brand awareness rose 3.9%, brand favorability rose 5.6 times, and 38% of people nationwide said they now wanted to visit the area around the shop.

The work won the Sōmushō Prize / ACC Grand Prix at the 2025 ACC TOKYO CREATIVITY AWARDS, plus recognition at Japan's PR Awards, the Osaka Advertising Association Awards and Cannes Lions — and it remains a case study in turning a signboard's removal into a new reason to visit the street.