Cheering is an emotion that everyone understands. Deaf people have never heard it. But when the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics open on November 15, cheering will take on a new format with a new way of expressing the emotion, Cheer Signs, by TBWA\Hakuhodo.

Cheers Signs, a collaborative project between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, NHK Enterprises, NHK Global Media Services, 5005 Inc., and TBWA\HAKUHODO, transforming cheering from an act of noise into a language of movement, turning empathy into a visual experience that everyone can share and bridging the gap between hearing and deaf communities.

The project challenges how we understand communication itself, opening new possibilities for inclusive expression on a global stage. In most sporting arenas, cheering is powered by sound, voices, chants, and music filling the air. Yet for deaf athletes, those expressions of support often remain invisible. Cheer Signs, rooted in Japanese sign language, can be both seen and felt.

The system introduces three signature gestures – “Go!” (above), “You Can Do It!” (below), and “Grab the medal!”, each inspired by sign language expressions of applause. Together, they form a new design language of empathy, where energy replaces sound, and connection transcends hearing.

Cheer Signs was co-created with deaf athletes and deaf creators, ensuring authenticity in every gesture. Rather than designing for the deaf community, it was designed with them, transforming communication into a collective act of understanding. Cheer Signs also extends beyond sport. It proposes a universal model of connection – communication designed not through words or sound, but through human movement and shared emotion.

Credits:

Agency: TBWA\Hakhodo
Chief Creative Officer: Takahiro Hosoda
Creative Director: Suguru Kato
Art Director: Katsuya Arai
Copywriter: Kei Hirasa
Film Director: Nobuyuki Yamatsu
Motion Designer: Kiyotaka Sumiyoshi
Producers: Shun Sasaki, Wataru Ito
Head of Production: Hirotaka Fukatsu
Strategic Director: Atsushi Kikkawa
Strategic Planner: Yuna Mogi
Account Director: Ryusuke Taira
Account Supervisor: Min Liu