Shiraishi Mai makes her first appearance in a McDonald's commercial! "Cheese bacon potato pie, it's so good!"

■ “I had always decided that the first thing I would eat the day after my graduation concert with Nogizaka46 would be McDonald’s” (Shiraishi Mai)

McDonald’s new TV commercials starring Shiraishi Mai, “Don’t underestimate your usual pie” and “Would you like a pie?”, will begin airing from July 30th.

McDonald’s will be selling a new, improved version of their popular side dish “Bacon Potato Pie” with melted cheese added, “Cheese Bacon Potato Pie,” for a limited time from July 31st.

In the new TV commercial that will be aired in conjunction with this, Shiraishi, who will be appearing in a McDonald’s commercial for the first time, plays a chic owner of a cheese bacon potato pie stand, dancing to a parody of Tanko-bushi’s “The moon came out” singing “I was surprised when I ate it~~~♪ The cheese came out~~♪” Keep an eye out for Shiraishi’s chic “big sister” look during the summer festival season.

In addition, there will be an X-Campaign where you can win a 1,000 yen Mac card. For details, see the campaign page.

■A special edition music video for TikTok’s “Good Pie Declaration” flavored with cheese bacon and potato pie has been released!
This is the first collaboration between the popular Vocaloid song “Goodbye Declaration” by Vocaloid producer Chinozo and Cheese Bacon Potato Pie.

In addition to the original lyrics of “Potato Pie Absolute Justice,” which are full of the charm of the new cheese-filled bacon potato pie, the character illustration was drawn by Alcechika, the other creator of “Goodbye Declaration.” A character in a cool yukata is holding two cheese bacon potato pies in “that pose.”

The special edition music video, in which cheese wraps the beloved “Goodbye Declaration” song, will be available on McDonald’s official TikTok (@mcdonaldsjapan) from August 1st to late August.

■ Filming episodes
◇ “Shiraishi Neesan” is a chic, big sister type character who looks good in a yukata.
Shiraishi appeared in the studio wearing a refreshing yukata with a blue pattern on a white background, and when she noticed the fragrant aroma of the new product “Cheese Bacon Potato Pie” that had been prepared for the shoot, she said with a smile, “It looks so delicious.” While suppressing her desire to eat it, she first went to a meeting with the director.

Shiraishi was asked to “play the role of a smart, big sister type,” so she picked up a cheese bacon potato pie and struck a pose with her eyes firmly focused, to which the cameraman opposite praised her, saying, “Good!” Shiraishi’s perfect performance, which met various requests, including a gentle smile and a sharp expression with strong eyes, livened up the atmosphere in the studio.

◇ “Would you like some?” This is a brilliant way to attract customers, as if it were his real job?
Shiraishi entered a realistic art set that recreated a festival venue, and was greeted by lively items such as wind chimes and masks.
He walked around with a happy look on his face, looking at the various stalls, and couldn’t help but smile when he spotted the cheese bacon potato pie stall where he was selling.

Shiraishi, completely immersed in her role as “older sister,” held a fan in one hand and performed her lines, “How about a pie?” and “How about a delicious, delicious pie?” with a cool expression. She also paid attention to the details of her acting, such as “Is this the right way to hold the fan?”, and once the director gave the go-ahead, filming began. With a brilliant line that was indistinguishable from a professional, she smoothly obtained the OK take.

◇ She showed off her best “older sister” side with her fun teasing acting.
In the scene where she hands a cheese bacon potato pie to a young man passing by the store, Shiraishi enjoys acting as if she is lightly teasing him, fanning himself with a fan.

In a scene where she teases a boy who is seeing cheese bacon potato pie for the first time, saying, “Don’t underestimate this just any other pie,” the boy’s reaction got her very excited, with her saying, “You were so disgusted by it that your eyes rolled back in your head (laughs).”

During the actual shoot, Shiraishi’s actions heated up with “Come on, come on~”, and the boy was also drawn in, showing off a slightly over-the-top reaction. When the director gave the OK and Shiraishi praised him, saying “You had a great expression just now! (laughs)”, the boy laughed shyly and said “Oh, really (laughs)”.

◇ Shiraishi is good at dancing, so pay attention to the well-balanced Bon Odori dance.
In the scene where they describe the deliciousness of the cheese bacon potato pie, saying “Take a quick bite~♪” and “You’ll be surprised when you eat it~♪”, they also try out the Bon Odori dance moves while following the rhythm.

Shiraishi was required to perform movements that were sharp and well-balanced within the supple choreography, so she checked the choreography carefully, concentrating all the way down to her fingertips, and mastered the movements by practicing repeatedly.

The director, who saw the action scenes, which were arranged in a way that was typical of Shiraishi, who is good at dancing, with slow movements but with a slight pause and poses with a variety of speeds, was full of praise, saying, “That’s great! It’s amazing!”

◇ Take a bite of the cheese bacon potato pie with a satisfying crunch!
In the scene where she eats the cheese bacon potato pie, Shiraishi said, “I can finally eat it!” and looked full of joy as she filmed. The first take started, and when she took a bite of the cheese bacon potato pie, a satisfying “crunch!” sound echoed through the studio. Shiraishi was also surprised that the sound was so wonderful, but was also thrilled by the taste of the pie, saying, “The cheese is good! It was delicious!”

In the next take, he enjoyed filming the eating scene, saying, “Oh, I can taste bacon now! It’s so delicious, I could eat as much as I want (laughs).” However, when the filming progressed smoothly and the director gave the OK signal, he was seen looking a little disappointed.

■ Interview with Mai Shiraishi
Q: How did you feel about appearing in a McDonald’s TV commercial for the first time?
Shiraishi:I was really happy, and the shoot was a lot of fun. I’ve loved McDonald’s for a long time, and I still love it so much that I go to the store, so when I thought, “I can appear in a commercial,” I was looking forward to the day of the shoot. I was really excited.
Q: Do you have any memories or unforgettable stories related to McDonald’s?
Shiraishi:I have memories of going out to buy Happy Meals (R) when I was a child, and asking my sister, “Which one should we get?” I remember buying them together. As an adult, the day after Nogizaka46’s graduation live was a day off, and after it was over, I thought, “I’ve done it!”…The next day, I suddenly wanted to eat a lot of things, and I’ve always decided that the first thing I’d eat was McDonald’s. I remember staying at home all day, being a bit lazy, and eating slowly (laughs).
Q: What were your impressions of the new product, “Cheese Bacon Potato Pie”?
Shiraishi:It was so delicious from the first bite… I was amazed at how cheese oozed from the first bite, and it was packed tightly until the last bite, so I thought “Once you try it, you’ll be hooked” (laughs).
Q: The new TV commercial features an impressive scene of you eating a cheese bacon potato pie at a summer festival. What situation would you recommend for enjoying cheese bacon potato pie?
Shiraishi:I thought it would be the best reward to eat it after you’ve worked hard all day, achieved something, or achieved a goal, so I’m going to try it soon. I’d like to eat a delicious cheese bacon potato pie after working hard at my job or something I want to do.
Q: In the new TV commercial, there is a line that asks, “Hey, you haven’t tried it yet?” as you recommend the cheese bacon potato pie to a man who is trying it for the first time, revealing its surprising flavor. What is the first thing you’ve tried recently?
Shiraishi:Recently, I bought a film camera… I still have a lot to learn, but I made my film camera debut. (Compared to digital cameras) There are good points of both, and film is a bit nostalgic, and it has a different feel, so I thought it was really nice and I’d always been interested in it. I went out and bought one myself and started using it. I often take pictures of scenery, food, etc. when I’m on location or on a trip, and take a picture as a memento. I also give the camera to my manager and have him take pictures for me.
Q: Please tell us about the summer festival, which is the setting of the new TV commercial, and your summer memories.
Shiraishi:When I was little, I was really a “festival kid” (laughs). Every year, I would play the taiko drums at the local festival. When I think of summer memories, I remember the town’s festival music. There were a lot of stalls, so I bought whatever I wanted and had a mischievous childhood. I played the taiko drums, the flute, and carried a portable shrine. I think I did quite a lot from the last year of kindergarten to about the first year of junior high school. At that time, I played the taiko drums with my friends and went to practice.
Q: In the new TV commercial, the deliciousness of the Cheese Bacon Potato Pie is expressed through Bon Odori dance movements, with the lyrics saying, “You’ll be surprised when you eat it!” What is something that Shiraishi “learned for the first time” or “was surprised” in 2024?
Shiraishi:I went back to my parents’ house recently, and Father’s Day is in June, which is also my father’s birthday, so I bought a T-shirt as a birthday and Father’s Day present. When I gave it to my father, he was very surprised and said, “Seriously?!” But it was the first time I’d heard him say “Seriously?!”, so I was quite surprised by the youth slang, and I thought, “My father is still young!”, so I was a little happy, or rather surprised (laughs).
Q: Please give a message to viewers who will watch the new TV commercial.
Shiraishi:McDonald’s “Bacon Potato Pie” is now available with cheese. It’s evolved! Cheese Bacon Potato Pie is so good! Enjoy it at McDonald’s restaurants nationwide from July 31st.