Essential commercials: A compilation of commercials for the hair care brand by Kao.
Essential is a hair care brand by Kao that has been loved as one of the company’s flagship brands since its debut in 1976.
From the very beginning, the brand has actively produced TV commercials, and you’ve likely seen quite a few Essential ads over the years.
In this article, we’ll introduce all of the Essential commercials that have aired so far.
We’ll also touch on the featured performers and background music, so if there’s a commercial you’ve been curious about, be sure to check it out.
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Essential commercials. A compilation of commercials for the hair care brand by Kao (21–30)
Kao Essential The Beauty “Hair Texture Beauty Series Declaration” VersionAlice Hirose
This commercial promotes the idea that using Essential gives you smooth hair that feels beautiful to the touch.
It depicts Alice Hirose touching her own hair, and her smile conveys the exhilaration of having beautiful hair.
The song that further highlights the bright, uplifting atmosphere shown in the visuals is yama’s “The World Ought to Be Beautiful.” With its striking string arrangements, the song’s grand sound strongly conveys a forward-looking attitude and a clear, radiant feeling.
Kao Essential: “Melting Magic for Damaged Hair”
Kao’s Essential is a commercial that appeals to people with damaged hair, highlighting how it restores a meltingly smooth feel.
The visuals transition from pop-style animation to live action, conveying that beautiful hair is easy to achieve.
The dynamic movement of the hair while running powerfully makes the smoothness easy to understand.
It also seems to express the idea that repairing damaged hair leads to happier days.
Kao EssentialSho Sakurai
This is the commercial for Essential: Change Your Morning that aired in 2015.
Sho Sakurai from Arashi appears in it.
The music was composed by Ryo Nagano, who is active with the band APOGEE.
However, it seems that the vocals are by a different person.
Ryo Nagano has also produced various other commercial songs, including for companies like Kao and Shiseido.
Kao EssentialNana Seino, Ryo Narita, Ryuji Akiyama
In a commercial that aired in 2017, Ryuji Akiyama of Robert—who became hugely popular through Creators File—appears.
Many related web movies were uploaded to YouTube, and it became a hot topic.
The song features English lyrics written by Kap.
Kao EssentialSho Sakurai, Mizuki Yamamoto
In the commercial aired in 2014, the brand switched from featuring trendy female celebrities to using Sho Sakurai from the male group Arashi.
Compared to previous ads, it emphasizes the product’s effectiveness over its image even more.
The song is an original piece, performed by Maia Hirasawa, a Japanese-Swedish singer who had also been featured in past campaigns.
Kao Essential: “A Sparkling Morning Begins”NewJeans
In the commercial for the shampoo Essential Premium, “A Sparkling Morning Begins,” NewJeans makes an appearance.
The ad is crafted almost like one of their music videos, resulting in visuals that exude a refreshing vibe.
Their song “Bubble Gum” is also used as the BGM.
Like the commercial, it has a calm atmosphere, and besides this CM, it has also been chosen as the theme song for Mezamashi 8.
Kao EssentialSILVA
In a 2001 commercial, singer SILVA appeared and performed a cappella within the ad.
Her overwhelming, powerful vocals made it a highly appealing commercial that really spurred the desire to buy.
At the time, SILVA was hugely popular for her big-sister persona and candid, no-nonsense talk.