Summary of au commercials: the appeal lies in a serialized series of friendly, relatable ads.
You often see commercials from au, one of Japan’s major mobile carriers, when watching TV or online videos, don’t you?
Among them, many people look forward to the series-style ads like the Santaro (Three Taro) series and the “Awareness Too High! Takasugi-kun” series.
In this article, we’ll introduce a comprehensive roundup of au commercials to date, including those series ads!
We’ll cover everything from entertaining, story-driven spots to moving, emotional commercials, as well as the songs featured in them.
If there’s a particular ad you’ve been curious about, be sure to check it out.
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au commercial roundup: The charm lies in the friendly, serialized ads (11–20)
au Netflix “Dadaaan” VersionHonoka Matsumoto
It’s a commercial introducing that with au you can watch Netflix at no extra charge, and the execution is brimming with creativity.
Honoka Matsumoto is cooking, and when she’s about to set a pot in the sink, it slips from her hand and falls.
Intrigued by the sound, she intentionally drops the pot a few more times.
The reason is that the sound of the pot dropping sounds just like Netflix’s sonic logo.
Immediately afterward, she heads to an au shop, where we see her signing up for a smartphone plan.
It’s a striking commercial told from an unexpected perspective.
au Value Link Plan Value Folktales: “au Starlink Direct” version / “au 5G Fast Lanel” version / “Subscription Plus Points & Netflix CP” version / “U18 Value Plan” versionTakao Osawa
This is a memorable series of commercials that presents famous folktales like “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” “Kasa Jizo,” “The Grateful Crane,” and “The Giant Turnip” in kamishibai (paper theater) form, then segues into introducing au’s value-priced plans.
The storyteller is the Celestial Emperor, played by Takao Osawa.
Folktales usually end with the phrase “and they lived happily ever after,” but in these commercials it’s changed to “worth it, worth it,” a pun that ties into the Value Link Plan.
The stories are universally known, but the way they’re somewhat forcefully rearranged is amusing, resulting in content that makes you chuckle.
Santaro Series: Idol Debut
The original song “Watashi wa Houdai” from the “Idol Debut” edition features Kasumi Arimura as Princess Kaguya from au’s Santaro series, singing and dancing like an idol.
The song title and lyrics play on au’s unlimited-use plan.
Only a short verse is sung in the commercial, but it still packs in classic idol-style call-and-response.
It has a slightly old-fashioned, vocal-flourish feel in parts, while the presumed chorus is a cute, quintessential idol tune.
If there’s a full version, you’d definitely want to give it a listen!
Santaro Series: ‘Everyone is a Hero’
A song by singer-songwriter AI, released in 2016 as a digital-only single.
It’s an arrangement of “Oklahoma Mixer,” a staple at folk dances, with AI’s powerful vocals and a gospel choir creating a soundscape distinct from the original.
The uplifting lyrics—affirming that everyone is special and everyone is the protagonist—pair perfectly with a rhythm that makes you want to dance, making it a track you’ll want to hear when you’re feeling down or need a boost of positivity.
Santaro Series ‘Everyone Is Free’ Version
A four-piece band from Aichi Prefecture formed in 2011, Half time Old’s song.
It’s an arrangement of the ragtime piece “The Entertainer,” composed by American composer Scott Joplin, and many listeners may feel the melody is something they’ve heard somewhere before.
The original is a piano piece and has no lyrics, but this version features lyrics themed around the commercial.
It’s a fast-paced number with a comfortable rock vibe, offering a different feel from the laid-back piano original.
“The New Freedom au” Santaro Series “Let’s Laugh” Version 1 minute 10 seconds
The first au commercial of the New Year in 2018 is the “Let’s Laugh” edition.
The song used in the CM is “Waraou” (“Let’s Laugh”) performed by the girl band yonige.
It’s a track that conveys the wish to make the year full of smiles—perfect for the New Year.
The song is an arrangement of the jazz standard “When the Saints Go Marching In,” which is why it feels somewhat nostalgic and familiar.
Laughing is a very natural act, but the lyrics make you realize that it’s also something very important; you can feel that in various lines throughout the song.
Summary of au commercials: the charm of the serialized, familiar ads (21–30)
Santaro Series “Voice of the Sea” Episode
A song by Kenta Kiritani, who is active as an actor and singer and plays Urashima Taro in the commercial.
It aired in 2015, and its straightforward lyrics—seemingly expressing Urashima Taro’s feelings exactly as they are—together with the gentle composition by BEGIN’s Masaru Shimabukuro matched the visuals of the commercial perfectly.
The sound of the sanshin, evoking Okinawan folk music, and Kenta Kiritani’s husky vocals further highlight the poignancy of the lyrics, resulting in a track that conjures up the imagery of the commercial the moment you close your eyes and listen.