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Last month, Netflix released the trailer for its live-action adaptation of \u201cOne Piece.\u201d The trailer, based off of a popular anime series of the same name, has just short of 10 million views on YouTube.<\/p>\n
Netflix isn\u2019t the only streamer investing in the Japanese genre. In July, Hulu debuted a hub called \u201cAnimayhem\u201d dedicated to anime and adult animation.<\/p>\n
The global rise of anime is tied to its popularity among Gen Z, Hannah Hickman, partner and head of youth culture practice at cultural intelligence consultancy sparks & honey, told Marketing Brew.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve grown up with the level of access to global cultures that previous generations didn\u2019t necessarily have. They\u2019re listening to K-pop, buying French drugstore beauty products, watching Bollywood movies,\u201d she said. \u201cThat also coincides with just this mass availability on streaming. Hulu and Netflix have really impressive anime libraries. You can watch on YouTube. There are apps and platforms like Crunchyroll. So it\u2019s sort of this perfect storm of forces that create this explosion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brands have taken note of its rise, with companies ranging from Ikea to Acura creating anime content to grab Gen Z\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n
As anime trends in the US, advertisers are taking various approaches to it as they look to target different audiences.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Ogilvy partnered with Ikea to produce a TikTok anime series called \u201cFind Your Slice of Life\u201d promoting the brand\u2019s products for college dorm rooms. Creative studio Clubcamping was tapped to animate the series, which features college students in different scenarios. The series leans into the \u201cslice of life\u201d anime genre.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe premise of slice of life is: rather than your standard action-adventure fantasy anime, it\u2019s much more rooted in everyday life and the intimate moments of going about your day. That really paired well with Ikea\u2019s brand vision,\u201d Sho Matsuzaki, creative director at Ogilvy, said. \u201cPeople seem to really be liking the series so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taco Bell, meanwhile, took a different approach with its first anime campaign. Two summers ago, to promote the return of its Nacho Fries, the chain rolled out a campaign that drew on mecha, or \u201crobot,\u201d anime. More recently, Skechers debuted a campaign starring Doja Cat that took inspiration from \u201cY2K, cyberpunk and anime aesthetics,\u201d according to a company press release.<\/p>\n
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