‘pride vision’ AR camera detects candidates who support marriage equality in japan elections

TBWA HAKUHODO creates pride vision for Marriage for all japan

TBWA HAKUHODO partners with advocacy group ʻMarriage For All Japanʼ to release the dubbed world’s first AR camera, Pride Vision. It’s a platform for smartphones that can help voters in the upcoming 2024 Japan elections identify who among the candidates supports marriage equality simply by scanning their posters on the streets where they can find them. Ahead of the Upper House elections on October 27th, the advertising agency comes up with a tool that can help voters be informed on the marriage equality stance without needing to download an app.

The voters only need to go to the Pride Vision website, where they can see all the single-seat constituencies in Tokyo. They choose the constituency they want to check, and as soon as they click it, their camera opens. Now, they need to point their camera to the election poster of the candidate, and if they see the rainbow-colored AR animation, it means that the candidate is pro-marriage equality. If there’s nothing, it’s a no-no for the political aspirant.

all images courtesy of TBWA HAKUHODO

PRIDE VISION AR CAMERA usable for 85 percent of constituencies

For the Pride Vision AR Camera, TBWA HAKUHODO and Marriage For All Japan have collaborated with volunteers across Japan to collect the image data of the election posters. In the end, the agency, advocacy group, and volunteers are able to gather 146 of the 289 electoral districts in around four days. Because of this, the Pride Vision can be used in 85 percent of single-seat constituencies in the country, ahead of the Japan elections on October 27th.

It’s also helpful that the agency decides to make a website instead of an app, which reduces the hassle for the voters. TBWA HAKUHODO says that they released a beta version in time for the House of Representatives elections in April 2024. They say voters commented on how easy to use the Pride Vision AR camera was and that they felt it was an innovative way to attract voters’ attention and inform them on the political stances of the candidates.

candidates’ posters across Japan ahead of the 2024 Upper House elections on October 27th

district court rules lack of marriage equality ‘unconstitutional’

The creation of the Pride Vision AR camera is rooted in the fact that the Japanese government is yet to legalize marriage equality. Marriage For All Japan quotes the survey conducted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, saying that findings show 75.6 percent of the Japanese public are in favor of marriage equality. Despite the data, the government has yet to take concrete action.

The advocacy also keeps gaining traction as an electoral issue in the country, with the recent district court rulings stating the lack of marriage equality is unconstitutional (based on the March 14th, 2024 ruling). By creating the Pride Vision AR camera platform, TBWA HAKUHODO and Marriage For All Japan hope they are able to help voters who advocate for marriage equality to know who among the electoral candidates share their same views.

TBWA HAKUHODO partners with advocacy group ʻMarriage For All Japanʼ to release AR camera, Pride Vision