Kawai Yumi (23) is the hot topic among viewers, with many saying, “There’s not a day that goes by without seeing her on TV.” That’s no surprise, as since the beginning of September Kawai has been appearing in new commercials for five major clients, including Suntory, Uniqlo, Morinaga Milk Industry, Kinoshita Construction, and Ajinomoto, making it seem as if he has taken over the television. Kawai suddenly attracted attention for her role as a foul-mouthed Showa-era high school girl in the TV drama series “Too Much Inappropriate!” (TBS), which aired in January this year. Kawai’s commercial contracts, which were just two when he first appeared in “Futehodo,” have now increased to seven. This figure ranks 20th in the “Ranking of Celebrities Appearing in Commercials in the First Half of 2024, Actress Category” announced by Nihon Monitor Inc. in July of this year, putting her on par with Kasumi Arimura (31), Satomi Ishihara (37), and Alice Hirose (29). It is extremely rare for a drama that did not even have very good ratings to receive such high praise. ■Mei Nagano’s popular “Kunoryu Cup Soup” has also been replaced. In the entertainment world, where there are those who rise to the top, there are also those who are pushed back. One such person is Mei Nagano (25), who was cast as the first love of Toyotomi Hidenaga, played by lead actor Taiga Nakano (31), in the 2026 Taiga drama “Toyotomi Brothers!” announced on the 2nd of this month. Speaking of Nagano, she starred in the NHK morning drama series “Hanbun, Aoi.” in the first half of 2018. Her performance as the heroine in “Knorr Cup Soup” is still beloved by a wide range of viewers, but the facial expression she showed in the commercial for “Knorr Cup Soup” (Ajinomoto), which has been airing since September 2019, is one of the reasons why she has maintained such a favorable impression, with many saying it is “soothing.” On social media, the product was met with rave reviews, with comments such as “When I saw Mei drinking it with gusto, I ran out to buy some myself” and “Mei’s smile and the steam rising from the soup are soothing,” with many praising it as “a contributor to raising awareness of the product.” Considering the timing of the change in product image character, Nagano’s predecessor, Haruna Kawaguchi (29), also had a five-year contract period, and Nagano’s as well, the change to Kawai was not sudden. However, there are sure to be many consumers who feel sad that the face of a familiar product will be changed. The movement towards a generational change can also be seen in Uniqlo’s commercials. Kawai will be co-starring with Haruka Ayase (39) in the “Life and Wear/Merino Day” edition starting on September 9th. Some people in the advertising industry are whispering that this is a demonstration with an eye to the future. “For Uniqlo, which is always selling freshness, there is no doubt that Ayase, who turns 40 in March next year, is being considered for replacement. Another issue is that reports of her frequent cohabitation and pre-marital trip with SixTONES member Jesse, which were revealed in August this year, have led to debate as to whether she should continue as the product’s image character. If Ayase and Jesse get married, a change in her image character in the near future could come into view. “For now, I think they’re just showing footage of Ayase and Kawai and gauging consumer reaction,” said an advertising agency source. Based on these trends, and based on my own experience from interviews, Kawai’s commercial domination is set to expand even further. Just like three years ago, Honda Tsubasa (32) was replaced by Kawaguchi Haruna. “If sales of products such as Suntory and Ajinomoto continue to grow smoothly, Kawai’s title as the new CM queen will no longer be a pipe dream. On the other hand, if the momentum doesn’t continue, she will soon be replaced by another actress or model.” (Another advertising agency source) There is no doubt that there will be drastic changes in the advertising industry from now on.
Ayase Haruka, who is so innocent that she seems like a virgin and has never had any rumors about her affair, is in a relationship with an idol much younger than her, which must be a shock to her fans.
I wonder if it was the Showa era when commercials sold products? Nowadays, a simple search brings up a lot of information and the range of options has expanded.
>>13 Young people these days hate buying products advertised on TV and think they chose and bought products they saw on social media, but I want to tell them that this is stealth marketing.
In the first place, it’s a drama with low viewership ratings that was simply hyped up by the industry, regardless of whether it was inappropriate or not.
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