The Wave That Moves Gen Z, Created by Proactive Partnerships

Companies are shifting from "sponsors" to "partners."

The rise of online media and social networking services has drastically changed how consumers access information and focus their attention. Both companies and media outlets are experimenting with approaches to reach Generation Z.

Amidst this, Nippon TV and major domestic apparel brand BEAMS implemented a drama-centered partnership initiative in summer 2022. Going beyond traditional costume provision and sponsorship, they built a worldview through BEAMS items and distributed collaborative content with cast members.

The partnership initiatives were implemented for the terrestrial TV drama " Baka Yaro no Kiss " (The Kiss of a Fool ) broadcast in summer 2022 and the streaming drama "Yarishitaikita First Kiss" (The First Kiss I Want to Redo) released in summer 2022.

By positioning the company not merely as a program sponsor but as a partner "co-creating, energizing, and boosting sales," the initiative positively impacted the dramas' quality and viewership, while also enhancing BEAMS' brand value and increasing sales.

We spoke with Shuhei Iwata of Dentsu Inc. Solution Creation Center, who led this project; Tsutomu Suzuki, producer at Nippon TV; and Sakiko Fujii, press officer at BEAMS, about the background of the initiative and key insights gained on approaching Generation Z through these efforts.

From left: BEAMS Press, Sakiko Fujii; Nippon TV Producer, Tsutomu Suzuki; Dentsu Inc. SCC, Shuhei Iwata.

In an era valuing diversity and self-expression, resonating with Generation Z is a shared challenge for companies and media.

──First, please introduce your usual work responsibilities.

Fujii: I handle press relations for multiple BEAMS brands, primarily the women's labels. In recent years, I've been involved in a music project with Space Shower TV since 2016 and joined the "BEAMS SPORTS" media initiative in 2020. I also work on projects spreading BEAMS culture through fashion.

Suzuki: As a producer, I oversee content creation for both terrestrial TV and digital platforms. I've been involved with the "Z STUDIO" project since its inception, which focuses on creating content for Generation Z. The goal of this project is to establish a "label" for Generation Z across various genres like music, drama, and variety shows. We aim to create content that is recognized and gains fans as Z STUDIO programs, even without the "Nippon TV" label. I'm responsible for the drama division, "Z Drama."

Iwata: My main job is creating solutions for businesses, collaborating with various media partners like TV stations and publishers.

──Could you share the background of this initiative, particularly regarding outreach to Generation Z, including your respective efforts and challenges?

Fujii: At BEAMS, we've been collaborating with Generation Z on product development across several labels for years. Additionally, I handle press for "Ray BEAMS" and we've tested Generation Z-focused initiatives across multiple labels. Generation Z's information gathering is entirely SNS-based. Given this reality, we strongly felt the need to fundamentally change our approach—from the ground up—to deliver BEAMS' message and make it personally relevant to them.

Gen Z's approach to clothing differs from older generations. Many of our existing customers think, "I want this 'BEAMS' garment," prioritizing the brand itself. In contrast, Gen Z's mainstream mindset is "I want it because 'so-and-so' is wearing it" – a people-centric perspective.

Meanwhile, while more people are buying clothes online, those in their 20s and 30s overwhelmingly tend to visit physical stores to make purchases. Leveraging BEAMS' strength of having stores nationwide, we actively hosted in-store events like live performances featuring artists likely to resonate with Generation Z before the pandemic.

Suzuki: From the very start of Z Drama, our strongest desire was to deliver the strength to live tomorrow to the younger generation, rather than just "getting numbers" or "creating buzz." My own junior high and high school years were a dark period. I went through a lot back then and lived a pretty tough life. When I joined a media company, I felt that this work could deliver something to give a push to people like my younger self, who felt trapped in a pitch-black tunnel. While it might be slightly different from the core challenge, we consider where to land our work's message, aiming to create something that makes young viewers think, "Maybe I'll try a little harder tomorrow," after watching.

Iwata: How to approach Generation Z is now a common challenge for various companies, media outlets, and Dentsu Inc. In this era where diversity and self-expression are valued, how can we connect with this generation—for whom there are no absolute answers—and foster empathy? We hoped this initiative would help us find some clues.

Beyond just buying "ad slots" or sponsorship! Both parties' visions aligned, and the partnership was decided on the same day.

──How did the collaboration for this project come together and progress?

Iwata: We had previously worked with Nippon TV on separate projects, and my boss had a long-standing relationship with BEAMS. By chance, on the same day in late May 2022, we had back-to-back opportunities to exchange information with both companies. Right after hearing from BEAMS that "Generation Z is a challenge," I heard from Mr. Suzuki about Z STUDIO. That's when I thought our shared challenges, strengths, and aspirations for new challenges could align perfectly. So I proposed, "Why don't we team up?" That was the beginning.

Suzuki: TV stations fundamentally make their living by selling "advertising slots" to companies. While that's an important business, I wanted to collaborate with companies on initiatives beyond that. That's why I decided to consult with Mr. Iwata's team at the end of May.

Iwata: During that exchange, what really stuck with me was when Suzuki-san said, "We don't just want to sell commercial slots or provide costumes; we want to create 'partners.'" This point was the most crucial this time. We weren't looking for a "sponsor" to fund media projects or content; we were challenging ourselves to find a way for both companies to partner together.

Fujii: At the time, we also recognized limitations in traditional PR methods like buying media slots or sponsoring content. We felt apparel companies needed to explore new ways of engaging with external media beyond just getting clothes featured in magazines or lending costumes for a single TV recording day. We were discussing internally the need to challenge ourselves with new initiatives.

Iwata: Our collaboration began just two weeks before the drama started filming. Since it aired in August, filming started in July. That meant we had to strategize our initiatives by mid-June – it was a race against time.

Content crafted around a "non-advertising-like" story captured fans' hearts

──What specific initiatives were realized through this "partnership" collaboration?

Iwata: I'll explain from three perspectives: "creating," "promoting," and "monetizing" the drama.
From the "Create" perspective, we collaborated to build the drama's worldview through costumes. BEAMS communicated directly with the drama's stylist to decide which costumes would be worn by which characters in which scenes. We also implemented a project where the cast themselves selected costumes, turning that process into content. This was something rarely seen elsewhere.

For "Promoting," we leveraged social media to create diverse original content. By sharing this content from both the drama and BEAMS accounts, we reached followers from different demographics. We also had cast members appear on BEAMS' owned media to share behind-the-scenes stories (article here ), maximizing each platform's assets for thorough PR.

Suzuki: We centered our efforts around the main broadcast, but fully leveraged social media to reach audiences beyond that. We always consciously tailor our creative approach to each platform's unique characteristics. However, even here, we didn't just chase buzz. We maintained a consistent worldview and quality, being careful not to "consume" the young actors and actresses appearing in the show solely for their buzzworthiness. Media engagement with Gen Z involves two aspects: delivering content to viewers and growing alongside the performers. We proceeded by building communication based on trust, considering how to foster long-term relationships with these young actors.

Iwata: Regarding the final "earning" aspect, as mentioned earlier, for BEAMS, "who is wearing it" is the trigger for Gen Z purchases. Therefore, we implemented strategies like compiling information such as the drama's wear list within our e-commerce site to drive sales.

──Could you share any key points from your individual proposals or project execution that you felt were particularly effective?

Suzuki: A major challenge was the large volume of costumes for the TV drama, their extended usage period, and limited funding, making it difficult to elevate quality. This was resolved by having the coveted BEAMS join us this time. The cast also showed great interest in the costumes, frequently discussing what kind of person their character was and what clothes they wore in specific scenes. It's rare for viewers to develop an attachment to clothing in dramas, but having it recognized as part of the character's identity was incredibly beneficial for building the world.

Fujii: Nippon TV truly excels at strategically using different platforms for content spun off from the drama. For example, Instagram features fashion and behind-the-scenes content, while TikTok incorporates trending music. They carefully consider what suits each platform. It's impressive they can develop these initiatives alongside the main drama production, and we'd like to reference this approach for future BEAMS communications.

Iwata: I think one key point was minimizing the "advertisement feel" within the content itself. The main goal of this initiative was "building a world," and each piece of content generated from that world had its own story. It was good that we didn't get fixated on thoughts like "We need to sell more" or "We need higher ratings." Instead, we embraced new ideas together and focused on creating presentations that aligned with the drama's worldview, which fans also supported.

Furthermore, I believe one reason we achieved results despite the tight schedule was our stance as partners: sharing all challenges and realities and thinking things through together.

When companies and media become partners, opportunities for consumers to engage increase.

──Please tell us about the results from implementing each initiative.

Suzuki: The drama achieved significantly higher ratings on terrestrial TV and streaming platform views compared to the previous Z-drama. Streaming saw over 230,000 favorites on TVer, with view counts also performing exceptionally well. Content shared on SNS also saw numerous posts exceeding 1 million views each, totaling 35 million views. It also succeeded in generating buzz, trending on Twitter during the terrestrial broadcast.

Fujii: On our company Twitter, engagement with drama-related posts and clicks to the e-commerce site linked in the text increased with each episode. Particularly, the August 29th post showing the lead actor selecting their own costumes saw engagement about 19 times higher than the initial post, generating a huge response. Regarding sales, while this result includes factors beyond this project, some of the outfits finalized on August 29 saw purchase numbers approximately 1.4 times higher than the previous week within the week following the post. Beyond the numbers, it was also gratifying to see fans' responses like "I bought this outfit" or "I visited the store" through retweets and other interactions with the posts.

──Could you share any insights gained from this project and thoughts on future developments?

Suzuki: In recent years, with so many young people active across various platforms like social media, I think it's become quite challenging for teenage actresses and actors to compete solely on their acting skills. However, their talents are indispensable when creating story-driven content like dramas. For the future of Japanese drama content, I believe it's essential to take steps forward, one by one, alongside these young actors and actresses.

I fully understand that corporate marketing often demands immediate, tangible responses. Yet, by supporting young actors and delivering content woven into a story, we can deeply resonate with fans and reliably drive action. I truly believe that walking alongside them creates the potential to build long-term fans. I believe the background stories for corporate products can be effectively woven into dramas. Rather than resorting to gimmicky tactics for strange metrics, partnering with companies like we did this time to build a fanbase together, even if slowly, will forge a path forward.

For Z-dramas, the next series, " Mizuru. Minato Ward High School Girls," is scheduled to air starting late February. We're welcoming Hiyori Sakurada as the new lead, and Yusei Yagi, who appeared in both dramas for this initiative, will reprise his role. We aim to explore the theme of "fan activities" and depict the "boundary between aspiration and empathy." Since the setting is Minato Ward, we want it to be fashionable. However, by leaning into the "world of aspiration," we're aiming for the delicate line between fiction and relatability to avoid it becoming too fictionalized.

Fujii: For us, successfully reaching younger audiences in this new way was a major achievement. Simply pushing messages from BEAMS alone, as we did before, struggles to connect with Gen Z. However, we discovered that engagement increases and we can reach Gen Z when we position BEAMS behind the "who" they care about – the people they see wearing our clothes.

Our next challenge is bridging the real and digital worlds. As mentioned earlier, Gen Z prefers physical stores. Beyond sharing information on SNS and integrating with e-commerce, we want to test how far we can push engagement by, for example, collaborating with drama cast members to create real-world events with BEAMS.

Iwata: As Mr. Fujii mentioned, we've learned that conveying messages through content or dramas with existing fan bases is more effective than companies aggressively pushing "Buy now!" themselves.

I believe what a single company can achieve on its own is gradually diminishing in today's world. By partnering with multiple companies, including media outlets, and delivering messages together, we can increase the opportunities for consumers to take action. It would be great if we could build on these initiatives continuously and expand them significantly, rather than letting them be one-off events. Above all, having formed a powerful partnership with these two companies this time, I look forward to continuing to challenge new things together in the future.

Members of Dentsu Inc., Nippon TV, and BEAMS who worked on this project.

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