"Second Place Gathering" Donbei, FamilyMart, and Asahi Shimbun cheer on the M-1 Grand Prix runner-up.

The Asahi Shimbun published a collaborative advertisement between Nissin Foods' "Nissin Donbei" and FamilyMart in its December 9th national edition morning paper.

Focusing on the manzai comedy duo "Wagyu," who placed second in the "M-1 Grand Prix 2017" (ABC Asahi Broadcasting/TV Asahi network nationwide broadcast) aired on December 3, the ad offers a fresh take. While the top-ranked duo naturally draws attention, it highlights that second place often comes with its own "delicious" moments. The ad sends a warm cheer to the runner-up duo.

The main visual features a photo of the duo taken immediately after missing out on first place during the live broadcast's final results announcement.

It captures their genuine expressions in that moment of rising disappointment, not acting, pursuing authenticity.

Donbei, the second-best-selling product from Nissin Foods, the show's sponsor, following Cup Noodles.

FamilyMart, also a sponsor of the show like Nissin Foods, ranks second in store count within the convenience store industry. Both brands, connected by their "second place" status, collaborated on their Twitter accounts during the Grand Prix period and further placed a newspaper ad in the Asahi Shimbun, the second-largest national newspaper by circulation.

The catchphrase was "Second place is delicious too."

It's a supportive message only two second-place seniors could deliver.