Kyoko Yoshine and Magical Lovely Lead the Rise of Talent Appearances on Corporate Channels in the Reiwa Era

Kyoko Yoshine (28), who is starring in the drama Namie Uraraka ni, Meoto Biyori (Fuji TV) which started on April 24 and will run for two consecutive seasons, is also gaining attention on YouTube.

“JR East’s channel ‘Kyoko Yoshine’s Live Travel’ is very popular. It features her enjoying a solo trip on the Shinkansen, with the filming done by Yoshine herself. The show, which lets viewers experience her genuine self, has been highly praised. The latest episode, set in Akita, has surpassed 1.8 million views,” says a source from an advertising agency.

Recently, more and more corporate channels are hiring popular talents.

“Previously, many companies would request popular YouTubers for projects, but since they are amateurs, the PR aspect was often too obvious. Companies realized that hiring major talents results in more natural videos,” the source adds.

Comedy duo Time Machine 3-gou handles the “Cooking Improvement Committee” on the recipe site Delish Kitchen’s channel, and Magical Lovely has a show titled Asset Management! Learn with Lovely on Matsui Securities’ channel.

“After the Fuji TV incident, companies are reassessing their advertising strategy. It’s now seen as more cost-effective and direct to hire popular talents and promote on YouTube rather than spending large sums on TV commercials. When comedians are hired, they usually bring their regular TV staff, so the videos turn out just as polished as a variety show. Even viewers who aren’t their fans can enjoy them, leading to viral success with videos that are watched millions of times,” says a TV writer.

Moreover, there are significant benefits for the talents appearing in these videos.

“They don’t have to plan or edit the content themselves, and regardless of the number of views, they earn a fee that’s an order of magnitude higher than TV. For SNS-famous talents, their appearance fee is reportedly calculated as their follower count times one yen. So, if they have a million followers, they get a million yen. Even lesser-known gravure idols or comedians with tens of thousands of followers can earn quite a lot, making it a great opportunity. For someone like Yoshine, who’s also featured in TV commercials, it’s likely she’s earning several million yen per appearance,” says an entertainment industry executive.

The challenge, however, is securing skilled production staff, according to a director from a production company.

“Viewers on YouTube have become discerning. To meet sponsor requests for naturally incorporating PR elements into the show, it takes real skill. If you start with straight-up PR, it ends up like an infomercial.”

More companies are now distinguishing between TV commercials and web video ads.

“For example, Uniqlo uses Haruka Ayase (40) in their TV ads, giving them a stylish feel, but in their web video ads promoting exhibitions, they used the comedy duo Shisonnu to create a skit-style video. Comedy has great compatibility with short videos and spreads widely. In the future, comedians who excel in short videos will likely be in high demand,” adds the advertising source.

The overhaul of CM strategies seems poised to accelerate.

From the April 25 and May 2, 2025 combined issue of “FRIDAY”