The Anime Effect: Brands, Enter with reverence

I’ve always been a huge Anime nerd. To me it has always been more than just the shows themselves, it’s been a gateway into a whole new world of obsessions. Neon Genesis Evangelion got me into illustration. Samurai Champloo opened my ears to Nujabes and breakbeats. Berserk turned me into a greats-word main on every Souls game and Akira cultivated a fascination with Japanese streetwear.

I’m obsessed with the immaculate craft that goes into it and my 'sadboi' emo heart was instantly drawn to the emotionally charged and dark themes it covers.

Despite this, as a spotty teen Anime always felt like it had to be my dirty little secret. Telling people you were into anime had a Marmite-like effect, you were either ridiculed or embraced. There were no halfway fans, you either didn’t give a fuck about it or you were all in—fully committed to the cult of kawaii.

I’d often find myself defending the honour of Anime against friends who’d disregard the entire genre as “childish cartoons” or just “not for them”.

Anime’s Next Gen

Despite my experience as a teen, it’s no surprise that Anime is exploding with Gen-Z. Today, 42 percent of American Gen-Zers watch anime weekly (Source: Polygon). The seductive visual world of Anime feels like it was built to be shared by this aesthetic-obsessed generation. Despite its new-found popularity, Anime still has the clout of something alternative and subcultural, which gives social media natives who are hungry for new cultural trends, a sense of being in the know. Equally, this audience is into gaming in a big way, and the plethora of Anime influenced games must have helped its sudden rise to popularity. No longer niche, amongst emerging audiences Anime’s going norm-core.

Popping Off in Pop Culture

This shift has been fuelled by smart collaborations between brands and shows, cementing Anime’s place in the mainstream. Streetwear brands with broader appeal but equally dedicated fan bases have entered this space. With bold visuals being fundamental to the core of Anime, colliding these worlds makes perfect sense, Akira x Supreme, BAIT x Attack on Titan & BAPE x Dragonball Z to name a few. Being able to wear your fandom like a badge of honour, brandished on brands that are universally cool is making Anime fans feel seen, whilst also pulling in new followers.

Similarly in music, artists are making Anime fans feel heard as they flaunt their fandom; Thundercat x Naruto, Doja Cat x Sailor Moon and Lil Uzi Vert x Cowboy BeBop. Seeing cultural icons champion a once misunderstood medium vindicates us OG fans whilst piquing the interest of those that previously wouldn’t have given a damn.

Anime Everywhere All at Once

As this spotlight grows on Anime, it’s no longer being gate kept in niche spaces. It's also easier to access than ever, readily available on mainstream platforms like Netflix and Prime. Even the once weeabo only zones, the streaming services Crunchyroll & Funimation were purchased by entertainment heavyweight Sony and are now popping off. Crunchyroll has been printing mainstream money with over $1 billion consumer spend in 2023.

The Warning Bit

So, as Anime grows in popularity does this mean it is now prime time for brands to knee slide into the arena, hopping onto this growing trend? Let me answer with an overwhelmingly inconclusive, yes and no.

Yes, it’s only a matter of time before brands and advertisers capitalise on rising trends. It’s an inevitable marker of something going mainstream.

But, we cannot forget our place—we are in the business of building brands, not culture. Following the lead of Streetwear x Anime collabs that are mutually beneficial, our aim should be to strengthen our brands position first, not to broaden the appeal of emerging trends.

My weeaboo warning is simple, this is a fucking exciting opportunity and one that has the ability to resonate deeply with hardcore and populist audiences alike, but it is one that is rooted in a dedicated fandom. It’s the same 'shiz' to consider whenever you walk through the front door of a fan’s space, wipe your feet and tread with care. Enter with reverence and understanding and above all else, with real reason.

Watch And Learn From The Best

The good news for brands is, you can enter this sacred space and you can enter it goddamn well. I have selected a few projects that set the standard for how brands should aim to make an entrance into this sacred space.

1. Anime Out, Not Brand In.

(McDonalds “WcDonalds”) This is the gold standard, The brand has a genuine place in the culture. Throughout anime history whenever a fast food chain was shown, shows flipped the golden arches and branded them WcDonalds. Rather than lawyer up and stop the blatant adaptation of their brand and name, McDonalds fully embraced it. To add the cherry on the cake, they partnered with scene legends Studio Pierrot (Naruto, Tokyo Ghoul) to create authentic AF content and Manga artist Acky Bright to rebrand products, doubling down on this trend. This work shows they understand the culture and they have embraced it in a way that will win over OGs and new fans alike.

2. Bring Something to The Game, Don’t Just Steal.

(KFC “I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator”) KFC embraced the oddly popular visual novel dating sim trend, taking inspiration from big hitters like Doki Doki Literature Club! and Hatoful Boyfriend—where you hilariously enter a pigeon high school and date sentient birds. In this, KFC allowed Anime fans to realize their wildest dreams, by woo-ing and dating a hella sexy Colonel Sanders at culinary school. KFC made a fully fledged game that was feverishly embraced by the gaming scene. It went viral on Steam gaining THE ultimate accolade “Overwhelmingly Positive” review scores from over 12,412 gamers.

3. If You're Going to Use The Visual Language, Make it as Fucking Beautiful as The Real Thing.

(Travel Oregon “Only Slightly Exaggerated”) Hats off to the W+K gang, there is clearly a weeaboo contingent, because they are producing straight bangers. For this work, the team has created an awe inspiring and creatively stand-out way of highlighting the natural beauty of Oregon. Cleverly paying homage to the beloved Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli fame, they are able to lean on the studio's intrinsic links between humanity and nature in a way that feels completely fresh for the travel category.

4. Find Your Natural Fit.

(Acura “Type S: Chiaka’s Journey”) Anime has deep roots in racing culture, with shows like Initial D & Wangan Midnight placing Japanese cars at their core. Acura is synonymous with thIS scene—the Integra Type R and NSX being truly beloved cars. Chiaka’s Journey capitalises on this, allowing the brand to show up in an authentically baller way that leaves wack car coms in the dust.

Season Finale

These examples give us some good guiding principles on whether your brand has the right to play in anime. Do you have ties to cultural happenings within the scene? Do you understand loved spaces like gaming well enough to add positively to them? Does your brand share core values with creators & shows and are you well versed enough to pay tribute to them in a meaningful way? The best work is either part of the culture, adds to the culture or is a worthy tribute to the art.

When done well, Anime in advertising can surprise, entertain and deliver exciting novelty. So if you are planning to dabble, you should only do so if it is in service of strengthening your creative idea, and serving the Anime crowd.

If it is simply being used as a foil for the lack of an idea then you will burn in flames like Akira’s Neo Tokyo.

David Wigglesworth is the Executive Creative Director at Grey London.