Fusing with advertising to make dramas more exciting! Everything about the world's first ad-fused drama!

Ad-Fusion, named by Dentsu Inc., is an unprecedented new advertising method that fuses main content with advertising. As its first installment, the world's first Ad Fusion drama, "Detective Kojin: Sudden Commercial Drama," airs on June 20! Fuji TV's Isamu Akamatsu (formerly Chief Producer of "Mecha Ike" and Garita-san of Garita Shokudo) and Dentsu Inc. CDC's Takanori Nakao, who were involved in the concept and total design of this work, discuss the journey so far.

They are actually university seniors and juniors. Two years ago, they reunited after 20 years and hit it off!

 

Nakao: When Kagari-san and the Mecha Ike team did the 27-Hour TV special, I handled the program promotion, and that's how we reunited after ages. Being in this industry, every time I heard people talk about Kagari-san – talent, managers, everyone – I'd say, "He's my senior from my university club." I got into advertising because of Kagari-san, so I was always eyeing him, waiting for a chance to work together someday (laughs).

Akira Matsumoto: After moving from variety show production to sales, I understood selling ads was important, but I felt that wasn't the mission the company truly wanted me to fulfill. I believed my mission was to create a "new relationship between programs and commercials" from a sales perspective. But I spent a year without finding a solution... and that's when we happened to grab drinks.

Nakao: He approached me like, "Can't we do something interesting?" So I seized the chance and shared my problem—how I felt we needed to somehow break down the barriers between ads and TV programs and fuse them together. He was shocked, like, "Seriously? I've been thinking the exact same thing!"

Akematsu: "Wouldn't it be cool if ads just suddenly popped into the drama?" I was thinking exactly the same thing (laughs).

I came up with some seriously interesting ideas! Days spent writing tons of fictional scripts.

Nakao: We instantly shared the core concept, but figuring out the specific direction took a lot of thought. Since commercials are inserted into breaks unrelated to the program's flow, to fuse them, positioning ads as "the funny parts" seemed ideal. If so, rather than layering laughs on top of laughs in variety shows, layering laughs over serious scenes would create better contrast and make both funnier. So, maybe suspense or detective shows?

Akematsu: We gradually saw the direction emerging, but once we decided to weave the ad into the story, we hit a vicious cycle: "No script without a sponsor," "No casting without a script," "No sponsors without casting."

Nakao: So, to secure sponsors, we decided to create presentation materials. To convey the appeal of ad fusion, as the advertising lead, I just kept churning out scripts for fictional commercials (laughs).

Akira: Like, "For example, if we incorporate Company A's product into a suspense story, we could have scenes like this." In the end, I wrote about 20 to 30 scripts? I was seriously impressed by the speed, quantity, and focus.

Nakao: Well, that was my strongest area. Conversely, when it came to "actually producing the program," that was Akematsu's domain, so I relied on him heavily.

Because it was an unprecedented approach that defied existing rules...

Akamatsu: Both Nakao and I, and the core members, had this insane drive to "absolutely make something interesting happen!" If the first installment hadn't generated that much buzz, it probably would've ended after just one. But if the first one succeeded, the second, third, and more would follow. So it was "The first one is everything!"

Nakao: Even so, there's a dividing line between what you can push forward with just passion and what requires concrete plans. When we faced the practical problem of "securing sponsors," the project's momentum hit a wall, right?

Akasaka: It was an unprecedented system, so neither sponsors nor the TV stations could operate under existing rules. From the TV stations' perspective, the overriding principle is adhering to the Broadcasting Act, which mandates separating program content from advertising.

Nakao: Breaking through that immediately is tough, right?

AkeMatsu: Of course, people were buzzing: "Doesn't this violate the Broadcasting Act?" "If you sneak ads into the main content so viewers don't notice it's a commercial, isn't that stealth marketing?" That's why we needed to untangle the rules.

Nakao: It's not about pretending it's not a commercial. Even though it's blatantly obvious it's an ad, it's woven so seamlessly into the program itself. To truly appreciate that seamless quality, you can't pretend it's not a commercial. It absolutely has to be clear it's an ad – it's the complete opposite of stealth marketing.

Above all, I can't thank the three sponsors enough for stepping up with us, saying, "We want to try something new."

Every cast member was totally into it! We want viewers to enjoy the contrast between the main program and the commercial segments.

Nakao: Even the promotional spots before the main broadcast aired turned out to be something fun and unprecedented.

Akamatsu: I played the sales role in the promos. We took the director and screenwriter to our clients and did scenes where we were actually briefing them on "How should we promote the product?" (laughs).

Nakao: "Will this ad-fusion drama actually get finished!?" (laughs).

Akira: And in the actual drama, to make it clear for first-time viewers, the storyteller starts by saying, "Commercials will suddenly pop in, so please enjoy them!"

Nakao: True to that line, right in the middle of the story, a 90-second commercial for the product suddenly pops in. And all the actors were so into it, leaning forward and overacting—it was hilarious (laughs). You're watching what you think is a serious drama, then suddenly this variety-style ad comes in, talking nonstop about the product. Then it abruptly switches back to the serious drama... those transition moments were really sharp.

Akimatsu: Especially Kenichi Takito's delivery as the storyteller was incredible. The director even said, "Maybe we should go for a more natural feel?" (laughs).

Nakao: Even that OK take was delivered with so much passion, wasn't it?

Watch the commemorative first fusion drama "Detective Koji" here! Available until 6/28 (Fri) 23:59.

Check out the program's story and cast comments here.

Akematsu: The ad-fusion technique is innovative, but for it to work, the main drama itself has to be compelling. The saddest feedback would be, "The commercials were fun, but the drama itself wasn't that great."

Nakao: We also wanted to avoid feedback like, "I wanted to get immersed in the main story, but the commercials interrupted it."

Akematsu: That's why getting the balance right was really tough. I wanted it to be a bit more subtle, but Nakao kept saying, "Let's make it clearer."

Nakao: True, a natural approach would look cooler, but since this was our first attempt at adfusion, I thought making the difference obvious might be better.

Akematsu: Honestly, the ability to seamlessly return to the main content even after a significant shift is a distinct advantage of ad-fusion over traditional infomercials.

Customizable commercials! Adding extra value that challenges the future of advertising.

Nakao: The biggest reason Adfusion succeeded was that people from different industries shared the same spirit of commitment. I think it was because the TV station, the sponsor, the ad agency, and the actors all truly fused together.

Akiyama: I agree. Unlike regular ads, this was our first attempt where the entire team worked together to achieve results and receive recognition, rather than just individual roles. That makes the challenge truly meaningful.

Nakao: By merging with so many people, I believe we were able to show the future of advertising and television. Including the pride of being the industry's first to do this, I see it as a very significant first step.

Akira Matsumoto: As a TV station salesperson, the biggest win was delivering that extra message—that Fuji TV is a company that boldly pushes forward with interesting ideas—to sponsors, ad agencies, and the cast members themselves!

Nakao: Television has an impact on society unlike any other medium. I really hope Adfusion sparks a major counterattack for television as a mass medium.

Akamatsu: This new trend of customizing TV programs to meet specific needs... Ultimately, it comes down to how sponsors evaluate it and whether the direction of this added value is on point. I feel it could become a benchmark for adding value to commercials going forward.

Nakao: I believe the potential for merging TV programming with advertising creators will only expand further. I'm excited that Adfusion could be the spark that ignites television's big comeback!

Akamatsu: Fuji TV will also use this as a starting point to keep challenging all sorts of new things, so everyone, please look forward to it.

Nakao: It was really tough, but as work goes, it was incredibly rewarding. I want to keep creating more projects like this. I'm super pumped for the second and third installments. So, sponsors, if you're thinking, "Damn, I should've done that," just contact Nakao at Dentsu Inc. CDC, and I'll write the script right away.

Akira Matsumoto: You're quick to snatch up the juicy opportunities if we let our guard down, aren't you? Sponsors, I'm waiting for your calls too (laughs).