Latest Survey Ranks the CM Actresses Who Leave the Strongest Impression on Audiences

No. 1 in freshness

Actress Haruka Ayase (41) speaks directly from the television screen. She is responding to a woman sitting on her living room sofa who laments, “Fabric softener smells great, but you can’t use it on things you can’t wash.” This is a commercial for a deodorizing and disinfecting spray by consumer goods manufacturer P&G Japan, featuring Ayase. Saori Yasutake, who is in charge of public relations and marketing at television viewing data analysis company REVISIO (hereafter referred to as Company R), explains:

“Among the many commercials featuring actresses, this one particularly captivated viewers. There are two reasons for this. First, Ayase’s calm and transparent image matched the refreshing impression associated with the deodorizing spray. Second, the production had Ayase emerge from the television screen itself, making viewers wonder, ‘What’s going to happen next?’ and capturing their interest. By having an ordinary woman express the simple wish many people have—to enjoy the pleasant scent of fabric softener on things other than laundry—viewers were able to empathize with the situation and relate to it personally.”

Haruka Ayase (41) — Lenor Happiness, among others
Attention-Grabbing Ranking: 1st
Number of Companies Employing Her in Commercials: 12th

The table shown below ranks actresses according to how strongly they captured viewers’ attention in commercials. Company R conducted its own analysis by measuring the cumulative number of seconds viewers spent looking at television screens. The ranking covers the top 30 among approximately 180 actresses and female groups who appeared alone, without co-starring with other celebrities, in commercials broadcast during the one-year period from January to December 2025 (details of the measurement methodology are provided below the table).

CM actress attention volume measurement method

Company R measured the cumulative number of seconds viewers spent looking at television screens with the cooperation of approximately 2,000 households (around 4,800 individuals) in the Kanto region and 600 households (around 1,500 individuals) in the Kansai region. The higher the figure, the more viewers can be said to have been captivated. The commercials analyzed were those aired over the one-year period from January through December 2025. The study examined approximately 14,000 commercials broadcast on terrestrial television in the Kanto area in which actresses or female groups appeared alone. Commercials featuring co-stars such as other actors, entertainers, or athletes were excluded because it would be unclear whether viewers’ attention had been directed specifically toward the actress in question. Since people often do not actually look at the screen while watching television during other activities such as cooking, such viewing behavior does not increase the attention volume score. As the table demonstrates, the number of companies employing an actress in commercials does not necessarily correspond to a higher ranking in terms of attention volume.

The smug look is also a key point

Ms. Yasutake of Company R continues:

“Commercials that rank highly, like Haruka Ayase’s at No. 1, feature actresses whose images match the products and are supported by excellent direction. A good example is the Kao commercial featuring Satomi Ishihara (39), which ranked third. Ishihara, who is married and devoted to raising children, conveys both a sense of everyday life and cleanliness. She is a perfect fit for the company’s fabric softener image. The production, in which Ishihara and the product appear alternately on screen almost as if they are engaging in a dialogue, also keeps viewers from becoming bored.

The Uber commercial featuring Anne (40), which ranked ninth, also matches her image as someone balancing childcare with a busy career. Anne appears as a career woman accompanied by her young son, letting out a distinctive ‘Haa~~’ of determination as she summons a taxi. The smug look Anne gives when the taxi arrives is another highlight of the direction.”

On the other hand, some commercials successfully draw on a contrast with an actress’s established image. One example is the KIRIN BEER commercial featuring Mio Imada (29), which ranked second. Koki Mitsuhashi, marketing team manager at Company R, explains:

“Imada, who starred in NHK’s morning drama Anpan (first half of 2025), has an image of being dependable and cheerful, and people don’t strongly associate her with alcohol. However, in this commercial she says, ‘I drink it all the time,’ and takes a big gulp of whisky! Moreover, photographs of her becoming tipsy and getting more excited are incorporated effectively. Viewers were surely captivated by this unexpected side of Imada.”

The sixth-ranked Indeed Japan commercial featuring the South Korean girl group LE SSERAFIM also contains an element of surprise.

“In a job recruitment commercial, this glamorous girl group appears singing ‘Looking for a job~♪’ while making jokes. For example, in the Okinawa version, one member says, ‘I heard people in Okinawa eat steak to finish off a night out.’ Another member replies, ‘That’s suteki (wonderful/steak)!’ Their charming yet comical expressions are part of their appeal,” says Mitsuhashi.

Mio Imada (29) — KIRIN Whisky Riku, among others
Attention-Grabbing Ranking: 2nd
Number of Companies Employing Her in Commercials: 1st

Satomi Ishihara (39) — Humming Flare, among others
Attention-Grabbing Ranking: 3rd
Number of Companies Employing Her in Commercials: 12th

Anne (40) — Uber, among others
Attention-Grabbing Ranking: 9th
Number of Companies Employing Her in Commercials: Outside the rankings

The table below shows the number of companies employing actresses in commercials from January to December 2025. Even actresses with many commercial contracts do not necessarily rank highly in terms of attention-grabbing power. Ms. Yasutake, mentioned earlier, explains:

“Ashida Mana (21, ranked 27th in attention-grabbing power), who placed second in number of commercial contracts, is regarded as an intelligent young woman attending Keio University and has an image of speaking clearly and logically. As a result, she is often cast as a narrator in commercials for financial products and pharmaceuticals. Naturally, these explanations become lengthy, which tends to lower viewers’ attention levels.

Ayami Nakajo (29, ranked 15th in attention-grabbing power), who placed third, has an English father and possesses an air of elegance. Because of that, any product she advertises tends to acquire a luxurious image, leading many viewers to feel that it is out of reach and view it as something unrelated to themselves. Minami Hamabe (25, ranked 28th in attention-grabbing power), who placed fourth, has a refined and composed image. She frequently appears in corporate commercials promoting business activities, and I think viewers tend to shy away from the lengthy explanations.”

Yuka Sakaguchi, an entertainment journalist well-versed in the television industry, comments:

“It seems that commercial series also influence how strongly viewers are captivated by actresses. For example, Ayase appears in the UNIQLO series, while Ishihara stars in the Sukiya series. The anticipation of wondering, ‘What will happen next?’ likely enhances viewers’ attention toward these actresses.”

Even in commercials lasting only around fifteen seconds, a variety of techniques are employed to bring out an actress’s appeal.

Ayami Nakajo (29) — Indeed, among others
Attention-Grabbing Ranking: 15th
Number of Companies Employing Her in Commercials: 3rd

Minami Hamabe (25) — UBE, among others
Attention-Grabbing Ranking: 28th
Number of Companies Employing Her in Commercials: 4th

From the May 29, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”