100 Stories1981 Media Strategies Unraveled from “Naruhodo! The World”

“Sorry to have kept you!” “This is Eriko Kusuta.”The TV program “Naruhodo! The World” begins with these catch phrases of the hosts, Kinya Aikawa, and Eriko Kusuta.

It was one of the most popular programs in Japan from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, and for those who lived through this period, the mere mention of the program name may bring back fond memories.

Although it may be a well-known fact to fans of the program, “Naruhodo! The World” was actually a program sponsored solely by Asahi Kasei.

Asahi Kasei has been involved in a variety of media advertising since the early days of radio and television, and its media strategy has helped the company to grow into a company widely recognized by the public. In this article, we look back at Asahi Kasei's media strategy through representative sponsored programs from the company's 100-year history.

Fuji Television's legendary program “A Thousand and One Nights of Stars” was sponsored by a single company

The Asahi Kasei Group's first sponsored program was “A Thousand and One Nights of Stars” which began airing on March 1, 1959, the day Fuji Television started broadcasting. It has become a legendary program on Fuji Television, and aired 6,417 times in the 22 and a half years since its start. It is also commonly known as “Star Sen”

The highest viewership rating was an astounding 45.9% for the episode featuring former professional baseball player Sadaharu Oh and his wife. The fact that the guest for the final episode was Hibari Misora, one of the biggest stars of the Showa era, also shows how influential the program was at the time.

Asahi Kasei placed more emphasis on conveying the corporate image of Asahi Kasei than on individual products in “Star Sen” The commercials featured an impressive commercial song that began with the words, “Hai, Wachininko～♪,” which had quite a familiar and friendly tone. The song was so effective that children at the time couldn't help but sing along, and it succeeded in spreading Asahi Kasei's image among the public.

Asahi Kasei's advertising strategy for “Naruhodo! The World” the program that brought Asahi Kasei's technological expertise to the main stage

The successor to “Star Sen” “Naruhodo! The World” became one of the most popular programs of the Showa period, with a maximum viewership of 36.4% and an average viewership of 21.3% for all 731 episodes.

Reflecting the strengthening of research and development, the “Naruhodo! The World” launched the “Naruhodo! CM Series” which brought Asahi Kasei's technology to the main stage.

A series of commercials were aired to introduce the superior functions of Asahi Kasei products in an easy-to-understand manner, such as the cold- and heat-resistant properties of Saran Wrap, the heat insulation properties of Hebel Haus, and the ability of Hebel Power Board (a thin ALC panel for the exterior walls of wooden houses) to be nailed in place.

This series of commercials succeeded in winning high acclaim in the advertising industry, with advertisements for the photosensitive resin APR in 1981 and the polyacetal Tenac SD in 1985 winning the Grand Prix at the All Japan Commercial Festival (ACC).

In particular, the Tenac SD commercial, in which a Tenac SD with a diameter of only 2 mm, like a piano wire, lifts a pianist and a grand piano in the air during a performance, was both shocking and technically remarkable, and was interesting to viewers at the time despite being a commercial.

With regret, “Naruhodo! The World” comes to an end. Entering a New Era

“Naruhodo! The World” had been Asahi Kasei's flagship advertising vehicle, but as Asahi Kasei's business expanded, its advertising targets became more diverse. It was no longer possible to respond to them with a single program. The program regrettably ended in 1996.

However, Asahi Kasei continued to develop new media strategies for the new era. The company continued to develop impressive advertisements, such as the much-talked-about corporate commercial using the new ‘Ihi!’ logo.

In recent years, the company become the sole sponsor of Fuji Television Network's “Mirai☆Monster” until the end of March 2022. The program supports young people with a bright future, especially in the world of sports, which is on the rise in anticipation of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Asahi Kasei has been spreading its corporate image to the public through elaborate media strategies implemented since the early days of television in the immediate postwar period. Asahi Kasei's media strategy, which has left a strong impact in each era, is sure to continue to delight us in the future.