Tower Records × Yoshitomo Nara — “NO MUSIC, NO LIFE?”, Original Japanese Promotional Poster 2012, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O330
Tower Records × Yoshitomo Nara — “NO MUSIC, NO LIFE?”
Scarce original Japanese B2 collaboration poster (store display only), 2012
Size: c. 51.5 × 72.8 cm (approx. 20.3 × 28.7 in, B2)
Scarce original Japanese B2 promotional poster from Tower Records’ long‑running NO MUSIC, NO LIFE? series, created in collaboration with contemporary artist Yoshitomo Nara.
Print: Offset litho in duotone + spot red on coated stock • Not sold to the public; issued for in‑store display.
Why this matters
The NMNL? campaign is a touchstone of Japanese music and pop‑culture advertising. This edition is a rare crossover with a major fine artist: Nara’s painting Blankey (2012) appears within the photograph, bridging gallery culture and record‑shop attitude. B2 store posters were printed and used locally, then discarded—survivals in clean condition are uncommon, and Nara‑related examples are especially sought after.
About this piece
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Format: Japanese B2 theatrical/shop poster (販促用ポスター), Tower Records “NO MUSIC, NO LIFE?” series.
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Paper/print: Medium glossy stock; crisp offset inks; produced for short‑term window and wall display.
Design & iconography
A monochrome studio portrait shows a young woman in a geometric dress with a clear swim ring, posed before Nara’s child figure canvas—Blankey (2012)—its soft grayscale anchoring the composition. Across the image, the campaign’s red slab serif headline shouts “NO MUSIC, NO LIFE?” The lower third switches to Tower’s signature canary‑yellow field with a personal statement in red type and the TOWER RECORDS logotype. Right‑bottom bears the campaign seals “NO MUSIC, NO LIFE.” and crown emblem. Bottom image credit reads:
「奈良美智《Blankey》2012年 個人蔵 © Yoshitomo Nara 2012 協力：豊田市美術館」
— “Yoshitomo Nara, Blankey (2012), Private Collection © Yoshitomo Nara 2012. With cooperation of Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.”
Translation of the yellow‑band statement (excerpt)
“The environment for making things has become very free. What we express within it depends on our own power—and that’s exciting.
Everyone is so good!! Music tells a rough‑around‑the‑edges, cheeky girl like me that it’s okay to run straight ahead, simply and directly.”
Condition
Excellent. Please review images—this is the exact poster offered.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
