Aina, (Alexandros), and CHO CO PA will appear in the new "Pocky" TV commercial "Pocky is a musical instrument." to be broadcast

■ “I simply thought the message, ‘Pocky is a musical instrument,’ was cute.” (Aina the End)

The new TV commercial for Ezaki Glico’s “Pocky”, “Pocky’s a musical instrument” (3 parts in total), starring Aina the End, (Alexandros), and CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN, will be aired nationwide from September 13th.

This TV commercial tells the story of Aina the End, (Alexandros), and CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN, who agree with the new communication’s concept of “Pocky loves people who love music,” sharing their joy while enjoying music and conveying how wonderful it is.

Another big highlight of the new TV commercials is that the music played in each episode is an original song by each of the three artists, with Aina the End performing their newly written song “Heart to Heart,” (Alexandros) performing their newly written song “Backseat” (on sale September 18th), and CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN performing “tradition” (a previously released song). Keep an eye out for how they express joy with their own unique worldviews against the backdrop of emotional songs.

■We are also running a campaign featuring that person’s “♪ (secret phrase)”!
It’s like a little radio show! There will also be a campaign where you can enjoy audio content where you can hear the cheers of all the participating artists.

Access the campaign site from the QR code on the back of the target product’s package, activate the camera on the site and read the marker to listen to that person’s “♪ (secret phrase)” (♪ is officially written as 8-note octuplets). One phrase from one of three artists will be randomly selected. The playback period is from September 10th to February 28th, 2025.

■About the new TV commercial
Pocky has always focused on creating happy feelings among consumers through various elements such as commercial songs and dance, but the new communication is based on the phrase “Pocky is an instrument,” which was born from Pocky’s idea of ”share happiness.” By sharing one’s happiness with someone else, people can smile even more. Perhaps this bright and positive way of thinking is somehow connected to music…

Agreeing with this sentiment were three unique artists who know the joy of sharing through music: Aina the End, (Alexandros), and CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN.

In the new TV commercial, which is set in a school, Aina the End is in the bicycle parking area, (Alexandros) is in the gymnasium, and CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN is in the music room, enjoying music while playing their own songs. Each artist is like an “angel of music” that is invisible to the students around them, and the video depicts them eating Pocky and playing with music innocently.

AINA THE END portrays her cycling home alone, turning the slight loneliness into joy, and enjoying her commute to school with a “musical angel” look on her face. (Alexandros) expresses their hope and determination that “things that can’t be done alone can be achieved with the help of band members” on the stage of the gymnasium, which can be said to be the origin of their band activities. CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN
QUIN captures the group gathering in a music room and playing with music.

When filming, the three artists approached the shoot with the image of playing naturally with the sounds and music, rather than “acting.”

■ Filming episodes
◇Aina the End
Aina the End, who was photographed at a bicycle parking lot reminiscent of a scene from the music video, straddled her bicycle on the stand and showed an innocent smile as she pedaled hard. She also mentioned her memories of cycling to school for 45 minutes, and said, “It felt good to go down the hill, whether it was hot summer or cold winter,” looking back on her high school days. During the actual shoot, she showed off her “full power pedaling,” surprising the staff around her. After the shoot, she spoke about her new song “Heart to Heart,” which she wrote specifically for this commercial, saying, “Just like the memories of being bought Pocky as a child, Pocky lives in our memories. I wonder if someone has this feeling… I wrote this song hoping that people would listen to it and project it into their own lives.”

◇(Alexandros)
As (Alexandros) began to carry their instruments onto the stage in the gymnasium, the students, who were participating as extras despite being “invisible” in the commercial, looked somewhat nervous. At that moment, Kawakami sang as a warm-up, and the students’ eyes lit up at her impactful high notes. The sound of drums rang out in the quiet gymnasium, and the performance of their new song “Backseat” began. For (Alexandros), who formed after meeting in their school days, performing in the gymnasium is a fond memory. Shirai, who said that the live performance at the school festival’s after-party was “the trigger for aiming to become professionals,” talked about his memories from high school after the performance, and Kawakami, who stood on the same stage at the time, empathized, saying, “It’s the same.”

◇CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN
The three of them gathered in a music room lined with musical instruments, touching each one and checking the feel and sound at their own pace. It seemed like they were enjoying the act of “making sounds” more than “playing” them, and the filming staff, who were preparing the cameras, slowly watched the three of them playing innocently, tapping along with them with their fingers and feet. There was no particular break after that, but at the director’s signal, filming began quietly. The sound adjustment work gradually turned into intentional music, and without a word, the three began playing their original song “tradition”. During filming, they even handed each other Pocky sticks and ate them while playing. The three of them smiled shyly at this unusual situation for their usual performances.

■ Interviews with the Performing Artists
Q: What are your thoughts after finishing filming the new commercial?
Aina the End: I was impressed by the teamwork of the staff, who kept hydrated even in the heat and passed water to each other. Some people had water waiting in advance for those lifting the heavy cameras, and I admired how they filmed in the summer. The scene where I ate Pocky was also difficult. I had a lot of fun following the director’s instructions on how to make it look like the popping sound.
Hiroyuki Isobe(Alexandros): We shot the commercial in a summer gymnasium in the heat, and it reminded me of my school club activities. But I think it was a great commercial because of the sense of unity and the way we all shared the heat together (laughs). We’re very honored to have been able to help with this Pocky commercial. It was fun.
Daido(CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN): It was a strange time. There were no large-scale shoots, so it was kind of… a strange space (laughs).
Yuta(CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN): It’s been a while since I last went into the classroom, and it brings back memories.
So(CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN): It brought back a lot of memories. We were classmates in elementary school, so we would go to the music room during recess to touch instruments…that’s what I remembered.

Q: How did you feel when you were appointed to support the other participants in the Pocky Music Festival, which will be streamed from November 11th?
Aina:After the group disbanded, I started working as a solo artist in July 2023, and although I am still a rookie at heart, I feel that I have become someone who will share my experiences of performing live and making music with the people I will meet in the future. “If that’s the case, I’ll do it properly,” “I’ll do it well.”
Yohei Kawakami(Alexandros): It was an honor. Rather than giving advice to a junior, it felt more like I was giving a little help with arranging as a fellow artist. (From here on, he jokingly laughs) It’s not an investment in the future, but… I was grateful for the support in the sense that we could have been supported when we were in trouble.
Yuta:I think we’re the youngest… out of all the artists we support. We’re a fairly young band, so I hope we can see ourselves on the same level as the people who participate.

Q: Please tell us about your memories from your school days.
Aina:I often played a game called “Chi-yo-ko-reito”… I was quite bored on my way to school (laughs). I have a lot of trivial memories, like thinking the cicadas were chirping, looking up, and then being peed on… It’s been almost ten years since I moved to Tokyo, and I don’t have that experience anymore, so when I think back, those times commuting to school as a student were precious. I think those free times must have been really good.
Masaaki Shirai(Alexandros): I met him (Kawakami) in high school, and when I was introducing myself in class, I said, “I want to start a band, so if anyone is in one, please let me know.” One of the boys in my class was playing bass, and he said, “Let’s do it together,” and when we got together next time, Yohei (Kawakami) was there… that’s a memory.
So:All three of the members were classmates, and we had the same way home and our houses were close, so we went home in the same direction. We were in different clubs, but I remember going home together.

Q: What is your most memorable memory from this summer?
Aina:In September, I had my first performance at the Nippon Budokan, and I think the rehearsals were very busy. Also, I make a set list for every summer festival…I decide on the costume and theme by the day, but this summer was really hot, so I worked hard to make a set list that wouldn’t make the audience collapse, but also contained the energy.
Kawakami:I went back to my parents’ house and stayed there for about two weeks, and I realized how grateful I am for my mother’s home cooking. Every day, she would bring out tamagoyaki (egg rolls), rice, and salmon without asking. I took it for granted when I was a student, but… no, it’s wonderful. I’ll say this as a senior, but if you’re able to eat that now, you should be really grateful. That’s my summer memory (laughs).
Daido:I went to Amami Oshima with my family. There is a memorial museum for the painter Isson Tanaka…I had just written a song with his painting as a motif, so nine of us in my family went to see the real thing. Last year, three of us in a band were invited to perform in Amami, and my grandparents came to see us and fell in love with Amami…so we went again this year. Fuji Rock was also really fun…I was nervous about our performance, but we went from the first day, and we stayed in tents except for the day before the performance, and we played without sleeping, so it was a really fun memory (laughs).

Q: When did you discover music and start thinking about becoming an artist?
Aina:I started learning dance when I was 4 years old, and I really wanted to live as a dancer until I was 17. When I went to karaoke with a girl from my dance team and sang, she looked me in the eye and said, “I think you’re better at singing than dancing,” and I was like, “What!?” (laughs). We’d been dancing together all this time, and suddenly, like… but if my best friend says so, maybe singing is really better… That’s what made me decide to quit dancing and aim for singing. That was when I was in my third year of high school. I’m grateful for those friends.
Kawakami:Before I knew it… That’s how it felt. I started thinking about becoming an artist seriously when I was in the third year of junior high school, but before I knew it, I was just thinking about writing songs and releasing CDs… even though I hadn’t decided anything yet. When I was in high school, my teacher asked me about my future plans. That’s when I realized I wanted to seriously pursue music.
Shirai:I started playing guitar in my third year of junior high school, but I wasn’t really thinking about going professional, I just did it because it was fun. In my third year of high school, there was a festival on the night of the school festival, and only three selected bands were allowed to perform on stage. The gymnasium was filled with students, and performing live in front of people is completely different. That’s when I thought, “I want to do this!” I guess that’s when I started thinking about becoming a professional.
Isobe:I met Yohei Kawakami when I entered university and he invited me to join the band. When Yohei invited me, he showed me a video of an Oasis live performance and said, “This is what it’s going to be like.” I thought, “There’s a world like this.” When Yohei played me a demo of a song he’d written in high school, I thought, “Ah, this is what it’s going to be like,” and an unfounded confidence sprouted within me, and before I knew it, I was here now.
Riad Weiwu(Alexandros): I think it was when I was in my third year of university, I was thinking about whether to start job hunting or not, and someone told me, “You’re at a big crossroads, but among the various options, why not look back at the path you’ve walked?”… I had started making music a while ago and had some unfounded confidence, so I wanted to believe in that path a little more and started job hunting.
I didn’t. I thought I wanted to continue walking the path I had been on for a little longer.
Daido:My parents love music, so music has been around me since I was old enough to understand. When “Choco Party” started, music went from something I “listened to” to something I made and performed, which led to events like this one… it’s become something that changes the future.

Q: What does music mean to you?
Aina:For example, when I’m in a pinch or feel that my work is unfair and I just put it away in my heart and go to sleep at night, if that continues, I lose track of my tears and don’t know how to cry. When I listen to music at times like that, tears just flow and I think, “I still have normal emotions.” Of course, it’s movies too, but music is what awakens my emotions the most, so I think music is “life.” I think “music is what penetrates into life.”
Shirai:It’s a cliché, but it’s “life itself.” Music is something that can be felt in flux, so the music I felt when I was in high school and the music I feel now are probably different, but music has always been by my side throughout my life, so I think it’s life itself.
Kawakami:I think music is “myself.” When I think about why I do music, there are many reasons, like because I like instruments or because I like singing, but the main reason is to express myself. Even when I’m not thinking about anything, sounds come out and I suddenly find myself humming a melody. I think I make music like I’m breathing. Of course, there are times when I compose music with the intention of picking up an instrument and writing a song, but music is something that I can do at those unconscious times. I always think that it’s something that I create by spitting out something from myself or cutting away something from myself.
Isobe:My motto is “music is music,” nothing more and nothing less. I think that being a band called (Alexandros) is who I am, so if the sensibility of the four of us wasn’t music, that would have become everything to me. So I try to be objective and think of music as nothing more and nothing less.
Riad: Ultimately, it’s something to enjoy. I do it because it’s fun, I want to entertain the people who come to see my live show, and I’m confident that I can entertain them. In the sense that I do it because I want to, it’s something I do because it’s fun.
Yuta:We travel quite a bit… We go to festivals, or go on trips together as a trio. (Music) is like a “travel companion” when we travel. I like to play music while driving, and when I’m heading out I like to play really upbeat music, and when I’m coming back I like to play something a little quieter.

Q: What impression did you have of the message, “Pocky is a musical instrument”?
Aina:I simply thought it was cute. If you hold Pocky vertically it looks like a conductor’s baton… I didn’t realize that (laughs). I thought it was cute.
Kawakami:The first thing that comes to mind is… drumsticks. I think everyone has seen Pocky as a drumstick at least once (laughs). First of all, songs tend to start with drums, so maybe that’s what he’s referring to. When I write songs, I also start with the beat, so I thought maybe the fact that “Pocky is an instrument” is connected to that.
So:It’s like we play without deciding anything in advance and share it through music… During the filming (of the commercial), we passed around Pocky and shared it, so it’s similar to that, or rather, the way we share something is similar to playing music, and I thought, “I guess we have a lot in common in that way.”

Q: Is there a time recently when you wanted to “share happiness” with someone?
Aina:The other day, I met a really big dog (lol). When I held the dog, I felt an incredible vitality. It was so energetic, and I was surprised that even though they are the same animal, they can be so different. I might want to “Share Happiness” and give people the experience of holding such a big dog in the world. It has the warmth, heartbeat, and smell, but it’s a different shape from me, so it’s a strange experience, right?
Riad:“Wataridori” is used as the train approaching melody at the platform of Sagami-Oono Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, and it made me so happy. I hope everyone will go and listen to it. I want to share it.
So:It’s the same at live shows or Fuji Rock Festival…I get nervous and feel a bit overwhelmed, but I thought it would be nice if I could share the fun I’m having while performing with the audience watching.

Q: Which Pocky is similar to your musical style?
Aina:“Almond Crush Pocky,” number one (laughs). I think my musicality is characterized by a bit of distortion, and I want my songs to be not just pleasant to listen to, but addictive, so I want “Almond Crush Pocky” to melt in your mouth, and I want it to have something similar to the unique crunchy feel of almonds.
Riad:It’s “Almond Crush Pocky.” It uses a stick that’s a little thicker than normal, so it’s kind of like that.
Kawakami:My favorite is “Strawberry Pocky”. I try to incorporate the idea that life isn’t just sweet, there are also sour things in it into my songs and lyrics. It may look sweet at first glance, but it actually has some sour parts.
Shirai:I like “Pocky ” the best, and I like to eat them in a bunch. I like to eat 5-6 sticks, and I thought the texture was similar to the sound of a guitar. I think eating them in pieces is a bit like a guitar.
Isobe:I like “Pocky 60% cacao.” The basic is a supporting instrument, but the base is said to have both scale and rhythm, so I think I’ll go for a slightly stronger, bitterer support.
Daido:I’m also looking forward to the future with “Pocky Cacao 60%”. I want to grow into a mature person with a strong fragrance and write songs like that. I think it’s similar to my own musical style.