Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Appoints Kasumi Arimura as the 20th "Lulu Girl"

Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare held an event on September 30 at the Conrad Tokyo in Shiodome to unveil a new commercial for its "Lulu Series" comprehensive cold medicine, effective against sore throat, runny nose, and fever.

The history of "Lulu," a comprehensive cold medicine with a DX formula effective against various cold symptoms, is long. The first tablets were released in 1951. The first TV commercial aired in 1957, featuring the fourth "Lulu Girl," Kumiko Ban, as the image character. The jingle "Lulu works for fever, throat, and nose~♪" and the catchphrase "Three sneezes, three Lulu tablets" made it widely popular as a household staple. Actress Kasumi Arimura was cast as the 20th "Lulu Girl" for this new commercial.

The announcement event began with a greeting from Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare President Yoshiki Nishii. "We have asked Ms. Arimura to be the commemorative 20th 'Lulu Girl' for the Lulu brand as it enters its 65th year. We entrust the spirit embodied in the Lulu series to Ms. Arimura," he stated, expressing his expectations for the commercial.

Next, Yusuke Kudo, Category Manager of the company's Marketing Department, explained the Lulu brand and its main product, "New Lulu A Gold DX." He concluded, "Lulu, widely supported by people of all ages and genders, perfectly matches the image of Ms. Arimura, who enjoys immense national popularity."

The new commercial was then screened, and amid applause, Ms. Arimura took the stage. After her greeting, she placed the final piece on the commemorative "Lulu Tower" to mark her appointment as the 20th Lulu Girl, completing the tower.

Regarding the commercial, she shared an anecdote: "The white cat named Pierre who co-starred was so incredibly cute. He would sit and wait patiently until filming started, and when I took a break, he'd come rub against me. He was with me the entire time during filming."

The venue also screened TV commercials featuring Kumiko Ban from 1957 and Hikari Ishida from 1993.

Next, magician Monsieur Pierre appeared. After performing card magic, Pierre cast a spell on the broom Arimura used in the commercial. Pierre's surprise show for Arimura unfolded: Lulu appeared from Pierre's body via Arimura's broom magic, and the Lulu Tower lit up through another broom magic trick.

Arimura concluded by saying, "'Lulu' is a familiar presence always close to everyone. As it gets colder, if you catch a cold, please drink Lulu to get better."