From banners to seat cushions: How the Rakuten Eagles and Vissel Kobe are leveraging creativity to promote upcycling in sports

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Vissel Kobe, two prominent Japanese sports teams, have taken on an innovative upcycling project highlighting new and interesting ways to promote creative sustainability in sports.

Instead of disposing of their stadiums’ exterior banners from the previous season, the teams collaborated with Rakuten’s Creative Design and Sports Partnership Activation teams to explore a new idea: repurposing them into unique and exciting goods for their fans.

The Rakuten Eagles represent Japan’s northeastern region of Tohoku in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. Meanwhile, Vissel Kobe is based in the port city of Kobe and play in Japan’s J1 pro football league. Both teams are owned by Rakuten and are pursuing opportunities to encourage wider sustainable practices both on and off the field.

Exploring new territory

“The idea originated from a discussion earlier this year about using eco-friendly materials to create the new banners for the upcoming seasons,” said Shintaro Ono, Assistant Manager for the Vissel Kobe Activation Team at Rakuten.

“However, the durability required of the ink and materials presented a challenge,” Ono explained. “That’s when we came up with the idea of upcycling the banners from the previous season.” Despite having little experience with upcycling initiatives, both teams were very receptive and eager to tackle the project.

But the question of what, exactly, could be made from upcycled banners remained.

Originally constructed from tarpaulin (commonly known as “tarp”), a heavy-duty, weather-resistant canvas material, the banners presented several possibilities.

While ideas like megaphones or ticket holders were considered, the focus ultimately shifted to the sports fans and the way in which they support their teams, Ono explained. Eventually, the decision was made to create seat cushions in the style of oen harisen (“cheering paddles”).

What are oen harisen?

In Japan, fans often bring cushions or pads to the game to make sitting more comfortable, whether in the stadium or on the ground. These cushions typically feature the designs and colors of their beloved teams and are water-resistant, making them an ideal choice for the upcycled product.

Furthermore, Japanese fans often use props and accessories, such as the oen harisen, to wave in the air and make noise to cheer on their team. This not only creates a visual spectacle but also adds an extra layer of energy and excitement to the stadium atmosphere.

Measure twice, cut once

The teams faced the challenge of determining how many seat cushions they could create from the vast signage. They also took into account certain rules each team had around using the parts of the banners that depicted the players and their uniforms.

Each banner measured around 30 meters (98 ft.) wide and 5.5 meters (18 ft.) high. From this they estimated that nearly 400 seat cushions could be fashioned.

From hanging high to sitting pretty

Once the banners were taken down from the stadiums, they were meticulously cleaned and given to a specialist vendor who transformed them into the seat cushions, using cutting and sewing techniques.

The process breathed new life into something that had otherwise served its purpose and was destined for the landfill, showcasing the exciting creative potential of upcycling and its power to reduce waste and boost the lifespan of resources.

Promoting sustainable practices

In an effort to encourage wider sustainable habits among fans, the Rakuten Eagles and Vissel Kobe are launching a social media campaign to give away the seat cushions.

Fans are encouraged to share a photo of their engagement in eco-friendly endeavors such as waste segregation or the utilization of recycled materials, to win their seat cushion. This interactive approach aims to foster a community that embraces and prioritizes environmental sustainability.

The teams’ commitment to creative upcycling is also extending beyond the seat cushions. Plans are underway to repurpose the team emblems from the banners, transforming them into exclusive collector’s items.

Fans can look forward to another special promotion later this year, where these unique memorabilia will be given away.

Harnessing creativity for a sustainable future

Upcycling endeavors like this not only encourage creativity and innovation but also propel us closer to a circular economy, where waste is minimized and resources are conserved.

Through this project and others, the Rakuten Eagles and Vissel Kobe hope to assume a pioneering role and encourage others to explore novel ways of reimagining waste, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future for all.