Top Male Actors & Athletes Dominating the Latest CM Rankings!

There are also commercials that don’t resonate

Even actors who are not in the top 15 for number of CM contracts are ranked in the list. One such actor is Junichi Okada (44), who placed 7th. Aoyagi continues:

“Okada-san has a high favorability rating, as he has a good relationship with his wife, Aoi Miyazaki. Moreover, his appearance in McDonald’s Japan’s ‘Puri Puri Ebi Purio’ commercial perfectly matches his image! He takes on the role of a Sengoku-era warlord, reminiscent of his lead role in NHK’s Taiga drama ‘Gunshi Kanbee,’ and expresses amazement at the deliciousness of the Ebi Purio.”

On the other hand, some actors rank lower than expected compared to their number of CM contracts.

“Kento Kaku (35), who is 4th in the ranking but 1st in the number of contracts, is a highly likable actor, but many of the commercials he appears in have strong product PR elements, which may have limited audience engagement. Ren Meguro (28), ranked 20th (5th in number of contracts), appears in a Motorola Mobility Japan smartphone commercial, but due to the presence of many extras and a dark background, his presence is somewhat diluted. Yo Oizumi (51), ranked 29th (also 5th in number of contracts), stars in Suntory’s ‘The Premium Malt’s’ commercial, where he enjoys a beer during the day on a holiday. While Oizumi-san is usually known for his lively personality, this relaxed, at-home image may not have resonated with viewers,” says Yasutake.

Entertainment journalist Emi Miyamoto explains the characteristics of top-ranking actors:

“It goes without saying that actors chosen for commercials must have a clean image with no scandals. However, if you look at the top-ranked actors, they often overlap with those who are considered ideal bosses or subordinates. Ryohei Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani are prime examples of such figures. The key to high audience engagement may lie in whether viewers can relate to the actors and imagine them as part of their daily lives.”

“If only someone like that were around me”—the actors who evoke this sentiment through commercial storytelling can truly be called the hottest stars of the moment.

◆ Method for Measuring “Engagement Time” in CM Actors ◆
R Company measured the cumulative seconds that viewers focused on the TV screen, with cooperation from approximately 2,000 households (around 4,800 people) in the Kanto region and 600 households (around 1,500 people) in the Kansai region. The higher the value, the more captivating the commercial was for viewers.

The target CM broadcast period was six months, from July to December of last year. The study analyzed approximately 4,800 commercials aired on terrestrial TV in the Kanto area, featuring actors or groups appearing alone. Commercials with multiple actors, talents, or sports figures were excluded, as it would be unclear whether the focus was on a specific individual.

Since multitasking activities like cooking often result in less screen attention, engagement time does not increase under such circumstances. The data shows that the number of CM contracts does not necessarily correlate with a high engagement ranking.

From “FRIDAY”, March 28, 2025 issue