Memorable commercials linger in people's hearts even after 40 years. Arata Iura × Kotaro Abe

Planning, casting, filming, editing... advertisements are created by connecting the efforts of many people to reach completion.

What emotions drive them from start to finish? What dramas unfold along the way? Driven by a desire to uncover the deeper meaning behind advertisements, copywriter Kotaro Abe interviews performers and creators in this serialized project from Dentsu Inc. Casting & Entertainment: "Advertising's Tasuki."

This time, we feature actor Arata Iura, sharing his thoughts on advertising in a two-part series.

How to make a product look appealing

Abe: First, I'd like to ask: Do you feel differently when appearing in commercials compared to when you're in films or dramas?

Iura: I think it depends on the content of the ad. For example, if it's a story-based ad, I delve into the character I'm given, so my mindset isn't much different from when I'm in a movie or drama. However, in the short world of 15 seconds, I build my mindset with the goal of expressing the director's concept and making the product look more appealing. So, there is a slight difference.

Abe: So even if the acting aspect remains the same, the core purpose of advertising—like "making the product look appealing"—changes the dynamic, right?

Iura: Since the means change when the purpose changes, I think that aspect is there.

Abe: Did you hold that perspective from the very first time you appeared in an advertisement?

Iura: No, my thinking was much simpler back then. I started my acting career in the 1999 film Wonderful Life, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. My first commercial was for "Try Home Tutoring," which was also directed by Kore-eda. So, it felt like an extension of film work. While I had a role, it was more about existing within the world the director created. It was less about "acting" and more about being present within the story. At first, I hadn't even considered the aspect of making the product look more appealing.

Film crews are like families; commercials are like gatherings of craftsmen.

Abe: Is there anything you feel is unique to the commercial set?

Iura: My impression is that there are more people on the commercial set.

Abe: That's true. I agree.

Iura: On film sets, during breaks, everyone goes out to eat together. We constantly communicate, including talking about things unrelated to work, like "I love that film." Once, I met a staff member I'd worked with on a film set again on a commercial set, and they barely spoke to me... I felt a little lonely thinking, "They used to chat more casually before..." (laughs).

Abe: Precisely because time is limited, there's a unique tension, right? Do you think we should increase communication on set to create better work, Mr. Iura?

Iura: Yes. This is something I learned on film sets. In film, there's this concept of a "za-gumi," right?

Abe: Meaning the director and others form a team with trusted colleagues they know well, right?

Iura: Yes. Basically, the crew becomes like a family, creating the work together. That's what's so wonderful about it. In contrast, commercials bring together professionals who deliver maximum performance in a short timeframe, like one or two days. I tend to see it as "films are like a family, while commercials are a gathering of craftsmen."

Abe: I see, family versus craftsmen. In my view, film feels like a long-distance race, while advertising is more like a sprint.

Iura: I understand that too. I enjoy that sense of unity and hope we can create something while genuinely loving the product we're promoting. The advertising set has a different kind of tension compared to film. You team up with people you didn't know yesterday, and in that moment, you deliver performance beyond what the client expects. It's refreshing in the sense that it tests what you've got. I think the advertising set demands more of a craftsman's skill than that of an artist.

The responsibility and pride of being the face of a product in a commercial

Abe: How do you feel when you get an offer to appear in an ad?

Iura: I'm simply happy. It's the same with movie or drama offers—it's always a privilege to be approached. For me, acting is a place where I can utilize myself, an essential element of my life. With commercials, I get the impression they choose me based on a total package that includes my current recognition and standing in society, so I really feel their expectations and trust in me. Being used as the face of a product in a commercial builds my confidence and makes me feel like my work is being affirmed.

Abe: That's true. Ads reflect the "now" of that moment, so they shine a light on your standing at that instant. By the way, do you get reactions from people who see your ads?

Iura: When I appear in ads, my family and relatives are happy for me. Then there are my friends. It's really appreciated that I can show my friends living far away that I'm doing well. If it were a movie, they'd have to go see it, so having a commercial broadcast nationwide is huge.

Abe: So TV commercials also serve as updates for your work colleagues.

A commercial where I could develop the role over about four years

Abe: Are there any commercials you actually appeared in that left a strong impression?

Iura: They're all memorable, but in terms of being involved with one product for a long time, it would be the beverage commercial. It featured two characters growing up, and I worked with the same staff many times over. I think it ran for nearly four years.

Abe: Four years! That's incredibly long for a commercial!

Iura: Being able to develop a single character over such a long period was a valuable experience, and above all, it was fascinating. I myself was genuinely curious about how it would all turn out in the end. During those four years, people around me often asked, "What's going to happen with this commercial next?" It was a truly luxurious project where both the creators and the audience grew together.

Abe: Any other commercials that left an impression on you?

Iura: One started with the family just forming, then showed them growing and having a child. Around that time, I actually had a child myself, so it felt strangely real—my life and the role overlapped. Plus, the filming technique was unique. Commercials are only 15 seconds, so usually every shot is meticulously planned down to the second. But on this set, they used long takes, shooting like a movie. Not worrying about time let us really commit to the acting, but I kept wondering how they'd edit it down to 15 seconds. The result was perfectly polished. Impressive!

Abe: Directors really have their own unique ways of shooting and editing, don't they?

Iura: Also, there was this one key word we had to say, and it was an ad where three actors improvised their performances. Since it was free-form acting, we never knew when that word would come up, so there was this tension. I remember them rolling the camera for nearly 10 minutes just for a 15-second commercial.

Commercials, as public goods, nourish children's sensibilities.

Abe: What are your thoughts on the purpose of advertising, Mr. Iura?

Iura: I believe the scenery we encounter in daily life shapes a person's sense of style. Since commercials are part of that everyday landscape, I see them as public goods. Just as exposure to art enriches sensitivity, I think commercials nourish the sense of style in impressionable children and young people living in that era.

Abe: Nourishment for children and young people's sense of style!

Iura: Lately, when I walk around town, I sometimes see signs and posters that feel cluttered and chaotic, like they just want to stand out. I don't really like that kind of thing. And I'm sure it affects children too.

Abe: You're right, it seems like it could have some kind of impact down the line.

Iura: Of course, standing out is important. Being unconventional isn't bad either. It can actually sell products. But truly great creative work endures even as times change, without needing to be overly flashy. That's precisely why I want people to create things children can digest and absorb as nourishment. Imagine a child happens to see an incredibly creative commercial on a TV left on by chance, and that experience shapes them into someone who creates a new era in the future...

Abe: It's that image, isn't it? Kids stopping their play and having their gaze captured by the TV.

Iura: Exactly.

Abe: By the way, what commercial shocked you as a child, Mr. Iura?

Iura: The system component commercial featuring Hiroko Yakushimaru. She was just standing there, looking straight ahead... but it was shocking. When I met her as an adult for work, I should have wanted to talk about all sorts of things, but somehow the first words out of my mouth were, "That system component commercial was shocking." She replied, "It's been a while since someone said that to me." It had stayed with me that deeply.

Abe: I think everyone can relate to that. Commercials that shape your sensibilities...

Iura: Since we often watch commercials unconsciously, the impact is strong when they leave an impression. It's like shaping society through commercials; advertising truly has that power. That said, I don't mean we should only make serious stuff. I want us to create things that enrich the hearts of those who see them. The work we're involved in stays in people's hearts even after 30 or 40 years. Thinking about that, I feel advertising work is truly precious.

(Continued in Part 2 of Dentsu Inc. Casting & Entertainment's series "Advertising Tasuki")

Dentsu Casting & Entertainment is a Dentsu Group company specializing in talent casting for advertising, film, and events, including influencers, cultural figures, and celebrities.

Photographer: Naoya Fujikawa Writer: Sho Sasaki

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