Advertising and Anime

[Fireminer]

My father is a movie writer, and so I could say that I've a bit of knowledge about the relation of the industry with commercial. In movies and drama series, you've insertion of brand names. Every second is counted as money. But for Anime, I rarely see that - in fact, C.C and Pizza Hut is the only example of that method. Except series that are specially aimed to merchandise, advertising is not very common on anime. So, could anyone tell me about the relation between studios and enterprises who want their names appear on the screen? Other than their own resources, do studios get financial help from different sources?

[GreyZone]

Originally Posted by Fireminer

My father is a movie writer, and so I could say that I've a bit of knowledge about the relation of the industry with commercial. In movies and drama series, you've insertion of brand names. Every second is counted as money. But for Anime, I rarely see that - in fact, C.C and Pizza Hut is the only example of that method. Except series that are specially aimed to merchandise, advertising is not very common on anime. So, could anyone tell me about the relation between studios and enterprises who want their names appear on the screen? Other than their own resources, do studios get financial help from different sources?

Well sometimes after the anime opening the "sponsors" are shown. I actually even saw McDonalds as a sponsor at least once.

[cyth]

The nature of anime advertising is different. You mentioned merchandising, then there's pilgrimage promotion (tourism) and the occasional big brand product placement. So you can't really deny that anime doesn't do advertising.

One thing to consider, some anime may not seem like they can provide the ROI for companies willing to advertise. Many artists would prefer to be more independent of the core audience that buys merchandise, but after-midnight TV slots don't look that good to them. Also, ad revenue is controlled by advertisers, so midnight shows get the low end of the stick.

[Dextro]

Like others have mentioned the core of the matter is the air times of the shows. Most anime is aired late at night and serves furthermore to promote sales of other media like Manga, Novels, Games and CDs and are in effect paid advertising themselves (the companies pay the TV networks for air time). Even the daytime shows are based on the same model serving mostly to sell mostly toys to young kids. I think this is why you don't usually see much product placement in the shows: they just aren't mainstream enough for it to make sense financially.

Originally Posted by cyth

The nature of anime advertising is different. You mentioned merchandising, then there's pilgrimage promotion (tourism) and the occasional big brand product placement. So you can't really deny that anime doesn't do advertising.

That reminds me: people should really start throwing tourism promotion money at Satou Junichi. Aria was perfect tourism promotion for Aqua

[aohige]

Originally Posted by Fireminer

My father is a movie writer, and so I could say that I've a bit of knowledge about the relation of the industry with commercial. In movies and drama series, you've insertion of brand names. Every second is counted as money. But for Anime, I rarely see that - in fact, C.C and Pizza Hut is the only example of that method. Except series that are specially aimed to merchandise, advertising is not very common on anime. So, could anyone tell me about the relation between studios and enterprises who want their names appear on the screen? Other than their own resources, do studios get financial help from different sources?

Are you under the impression that there are no commercials between the A, B, C parts of the anime?
Both the pirated "fansubs" and legal streams you watch simply have those cut out.

The sponsorship varies greatly depending on the airtime of course, with late-nights focusing on the original right holders and its related merchandises. (manga, novels, magazines, etc)

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by aohige

Are you under the impression that there are no commercials between the A, B, C parts of the anime?
Both the pirated "fansubs" and legal streams you watch simply have those cut out.

The sponsorship varies greatly depending on the airtime of course, with late-nights focusing on the original right holders and its related merchandises. (manga, novels, magazines, etc)

There are generally less commercials though in anime, as it typically runs for 24 mins of 30, while an american shows run for 22 mins of 30 usually, meaning there is probably one less commercial break between most animes.

[Fireminer]

Oh, so they cut it out, just like with Tokusatsu. Thanks!

Also, which brand do you think that appears the most frequently on anime? Except Bandai, of course.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by aohige

Both the pirated "fansubs" and legal streams you watch simply have those cut out

Unless the fansub group in question is GG

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by totoum

Unless the fansub group in question is GG

I didn't even need to click the link to figure out what it was.

To be honest I wouldn't mind more sub groups leaving a few commercials in. I remember some groups leaving in ads on Hidamari Sketch subs with promotion of other manga. I think it would be a nice touch to leave some of those ads in since some of us might even become interested in some of those products.

[greensoulreaper]

Anime is probably a bigger industry in its native land than it is over seas, hence the lack of it in advertising if you weren't living in a place like Japan. I've seen photos of giant billboards in Japan or even trains that have advertising from a particular franchise or series plastered on top...stuff like that you wouldn't see in many other places outside that country.

[Sackett]

Also, Tiger & Bunny has to be brought up. I mean Pepsi obviously must have paid something to get their logo for Pepsi Next on Blue Rose's uniform.

[SeijiSensei]

I've seen product placements in other shows. The heroine of Hataraki Man drinks an energy beverage that is advertised on billboards during the OP (around 0:15) and in other locations. The basketball players in Basquash! wore Nikes.

Perhaps the most surprising advertiser I've seen listed in the OP billboard was Coca-Cola's underwriting of Genji Monogatari Sennenki on noitaminA, a show with a definite older skew. Coke didn't appear at the beginning of the show's run, either. The company signed up midway through the season.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Sackett

Also, Tiger & Bunny has to be brought up. I mean Pepsi obviously must have paid something to get their logo for Pepsi Next on Blue Rose's uniform.

Good point. Also, I can't think of an anime character that in-canon promoted a real life product as much as Blue Rose did for Pepsi.

The closest might be Code Geass' CC and Pizza Hut.


Edit: One thing that surprises me a bit is that you don't seem to have many commercial partnerships between sports anime and the sports they promote. For example, if I ran a company in Japan that specialized in making/selling mahjong tables, I'd probably jump at the chance to promote my product through Saki or Legend of Koizumi or Akagi. Anime merchandise collectors are hardcore, so if you slap a couple Saki stickers/logos/character designs on a mahjong table, some Saki fans might buy it just as merchandise, even if they don't actually use it to play the game.

[Fireminer]

@Triple_R: Well, let's see at Nikes' international marketing. Their Golf brand was single-handely brought up by Tiger Wood, and they still are partners now. I think it would probally about the base: The companies always looking for great altheles. If you could find a good face and attach your brand with it, you're fine. But how many sport anime character that really is outstanding and has a wide impact? Names like Captain Tsubasa are hard to find.

Also, the economical effective. Looking a Wood's contract, it's worth of millions dollar. However, what they get back far exceed what they lost. Don't have the numbers here, but if it's the same unstable with Vietnamese Drama, it would be much better to just making a half-minute focused advertisement. Because the viewer is likely to get irritated after a high frequent that brand to appear - excluding some cases.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Edit: One thing that surprises me a bit is that you don't seem to have many commercial partnerships between sports anime and the sports they promote. For example, if I ran a company in Japan that specialized in making/selling mahjong tables, I'd probably jump at the chance to promote my product through Saki or Legend of Koizumi or Akagi. Anime merchandise collectors are hardcore, so if you slap a couple Saki stickers/logos/character designs on a mahjong table, some Saki fans might buy it just as merchandise, even if they don't actually use it to play the game.

Cross Game had a relationship with the Girls Professional Baseball League while it aired. There were spots showing real-life players making the pitch for girls baseball. There was even a promotion where Aoba "visited" one of the teams and pitched batting practice. Sadly I can no longer find the links to any of these videos.

Yamaha takes advantage of anime to spotlight its pianos. All the pianos in Nodame Cantabile sport the Yamaha logo as do the pianos in Sakamichi no Apollon. Nodame Cantabile also carried the logo for "Two Bows" in the closing credits which looks like a stringed instrument seller, though I can't find any information about them on the Net.