■The new TV commercial, which will air from September 17th, will feature 12 members of Nogizaka46 performing a stylish walking dance.
The six members of Nogizaka46 who are ambassadors for Morinaga’s “DARS” – Sakura Endo, Haruka Kaki, Renka Iwamoto, Minami Umezawa, Misora Ichinose, and Satsuki Sugawara – appeared at the “DARS New CM Announcement 2024” on September 16th. They talked about their impressions of appearing in the new CM, highlights of the CM, and behind-the-scenes stories from the CM’s filming.
At the same presentation, the group split into two teams and competed in a quiz game called “Team Competition! Guess What’s in the Box Dars!”, in which participants had to guess what was in the box. In addition, a new TV commercial was unveiled, which will begin airing on September 17th. A total of 12 members appear in this commercial. Divided into two teams of six for “DARS
In addition to the release of the new products “Fragrant DARS
■The members appear in striking new red and white costumes! The new commercial is full of highlights, with smiles as the focal point.
It has been 30 years since its launch in 1993. Morinaga & Co.’s “DARS” chocolate series is loved by many people as a single-piece chocolate that is easy to eat and has a rich milk flavor. In 2022 and 2023, Nogizaka 46 (12 members) was welcomed as an ambassador, and the commercial in which they danced to a song that was an arrangement of the lyrics of the nursery rhyme “Mori no Kuma-san” was well received not only by fans but also by many people.
Nogizaka46 will continue to be the ambassador for “DARS” in 2024. The main point of this new commercial is “smiles.” Don’t miss the scene of friends stuffing their faces with “DARS” and sharing their big smiles. The song is based on “Mori no Kuma-san” as before, but with a different arrangement, and the dance and costumes have also evolved. It is a commercial with a lot to see, including a virtual space production.
When the new commercial was screened, the six ambassador members appeared in new costumes, the “DARS
Iwamoto, who is participating in the event for the first time, said with a smile, “Ever since I joined Nogizaka46, I’ve always said that I love chocolate, so I’m very happy to be appointed as an ambassador. I’m nervous because it’s my first time, but I’ll do my best to properly convey my love for DARS.”
Kaki said, “Since I was appointed as the ambassador for DARS, I have been in charge of the colour white for the past three years, so I am happy to be able to participate again wearing the costume this time. DARS may have a strong image of red, but I think that with ‘White DARS’ and ‘Fragrant DARS’, the brand is actually characterised by white chocolate. I will do my best to convey the appeal of ‘White DARS’ as much as possible,” expressing her strong desire to spread the word about ‘White DARS’.
■ “The ‘DARS’ was delicious, and Saku-chan was next to me, so I was smiling the whole time.” (Haruka Kaki)
When asked about her impressions after watching the commercial again, Endo said, “It’s just so cute. I think this is a commercial that’s full of smiles. It’s full of Nogizaka’s cuteness, and I think it’s a commercial that is very much like DARS.” Kaki continued, “Let’s all have fun dancing and jumping together. Saku-chan (Endo) also said it, but it’s packed with the cuteness of the Nogizaka members and I think it’s a fun commercial, so I hope a lot of people will watch it.”
The catchphrase for 2024 is “Everyone’s smiles are the result of milk,” so the biggest highlight is “smiles.” When asked about the highlight of the commercial, Umezawa immediately replied, “I think it’s the smiles.” “The commercial is packed with everyone’s smiles, and it really felt like we were all laughing together the whole time during the shoot. We did it in a fun and lively atmosphere. This time, we also danced in the commercial, but the tempo was very fast and it was difficult. Also, we had an image of a fashion show, and we were all walking down a runway, so we struggled with the high heels. Someone made a NG, but we covered it up with a smile and were able to shoot in a fun atmosphere. I hope that many people will smile when they watch this commercial filled with our smiles,” she said, talking about the highlights.
Furthermore, when asked about the scene that made her smile during the break in filming, Kaki commented with a big smile, “I was laughing almost the whole time. There was a scene where I ate ‘DARS’ with Saku-chan, but it was difficult to eat ‘DARS’ while walking, so I had to do it over and over again. But it was fun, the ‘DARS’ was delicious, and Saku-chan was next to me. I was smiling the whole time.” Regarding the difficult scene, Ichinose revealed the behind-the-scenes story, saying, “There was a scene where I had to jump with member Kawasaki Sakura (the official spelling of “崎” is ‘tatsusaki’), but it was really difficult to match the height of our feet and the timing of our jumps. We really jumped dozens of times during filming, so that was difficult. But during the break, we ate ‘DARS’ together to replenish our sugar, and although it was difficult, it was fun.”
Next, they talked about “DARS.” When asked about the appeal of “DARS” as an ambassador, Umezawa said, “Both the standard milk flavor and the white “DARS” have a rich milk flavor, and everyone really likes them. I’ve been eating it since I was little, so I feel very comfortable with it and I love it. Also, there are 12 pieces on a tray, so it’s great that you can eat it by yourself over the course of a day, or share it with others. We open one in between shows and share it with a few people. At times like that, smiles and conversations are born and a fun atmosphere is created, so I think that’s one of the attractions.” She perfectly expressed the appeal of “DARS” as an ambassador and captain of Nogizaka46.
Regarding “DARS Milk,” Endo said, “It has a rich milky taste from the use of fresh cream and a sharp sweetness that is characteristic of it, and I think it’s a taste that everyone will love.” Regarding “White DARS,” Kaki said, “I personally really love ‘White DARS’ and it feels a little special. It’s a cute white color, and has a rich sweetness and milky taste, and just one bite makes me feel incredibly happy. I think it has only good points.” They each tried hard to promote it.
And now, two new products, “Fragrant Dars”
When asked about what she likes about and memories of “DARS,” Endo said, “I love chocolate, and the milk flavor of “DARS” in particular is really rich. The flavor is packed tightly into one piece, so I never get tired of it. Umezawa-san said earlier that she eats 12 pieces over the course of a day, but I love it so much that I can eat all 12 in the blink of an eye. I finish them all in about 10 minutes (laughs). Also, the way they melt in your mouth and are so creamy is irresistible; they’re the best.” Iwamoto commented, “I eat a little bit during stressful work breaks, or share them with all the members. “DARS” gives me a sense of security,” and Sugawara commented, “I also ate a few kiwi pieces before going on stage at a press conference. “However, the ‘Fragrant DARS’ is characterized by its freshness, as if you are really eating fruit, so I hope that you will enjoy the freshness while replenishing your sugar intake with its sweetness,” said Ichinose, “Since it is divided into individual pieces, it can of course be shared with everyone, and the number 12 is also great. I think it is great that it can be divided perfectly between two, three, or four people. I am greedy, so if two people have to share three, I feel a bit ‘hmm,’ but the ‘DARS’ can be divided nicely so there are no fights and I think it is great that you can enjoy eating it.” Each person spoke passionately about their thoughts about ‘DARS’.
■ “Guess what’s in the box!” Even the scaredy Endo takes on the challenge
As this is their third year as ambassadors, the members have a deep affection for “DARS”. So, as a project to check their abilities as ambassadors, they took on the challenge of “Team Competition! Guess the contents of the box, DARS!”. Umezawa, Sugawara, and Endo, who also appeared at the 2023 event, competed as the “Regular DARS Team”, while Iwamoto, Kaki, and Ichinose, who will be participating in the 2024 event for the first time, competed as the “Fragrant DARS Team”. As the name suggests, the project is a quiz game to guess what is in the box, with a total of three questions. First, the first question. The members take turns touching the contents of a large box. Once everyone has finished touching it, thinking time begins. Regarding Endo, who was the most timid of the members and touched the contents of the box, Umezawa, who is on the same team, pointed out, “Endo only touched (the contents of the box) with his index finger,” but commented, “We will do our best as a team (laughs). We are quite confident.” Both teams answered “Kiwi.” Both got the answer right, and the audience erupted in applause.
The second question involved guessing the contents not by touch but by smell. Inside the box were a large number of “DARS”. Umezawa, who had been full of confidence earlier, seemed to be struggling this time. Both teams thought long and hard about their answer, and the usual DARS team answered “strawberry and white DARS”, while the fragrant DARS team answered “strawberry and kiwi”. The correct answer was “DARS
For the final question, the biggest box yet was presented. As with the first question, they had to touch it with their hands to guess what was inside. Everyone tilted their heads as they touched it, but after discussing it among themselves, both teams seemed to be confident. Both teams confidently answered that it was “PAN DARS,” the “darth” fairy depicted on the package, and got it right. Apparently PAN DARS was also in the dressing room during filming, and Umezawa smiled happily, saying, “I touched it (in the dressing room), so I thought, that’s the one!”
As both teams were tied, the judges, Morinaga & Co., Ltd., deliberated. After a rigorous discussion, the winning team was decided to be the “Usual Dars Team.” The reason for their victory was “because I think it was difficult to guess the scent of the white Dars in the second question.” The winning team, the “Usual Dars Team,” was presented with a “Giant Dars” that was 144 times the size of a single Dars. Furthermore, when Endo broke the giant “Dars,” a ton of “Dars” appeared from inside. All the members expressed their surprise, saying, “Amazing!” and “So cute!”
Endo of the usual Dars team, who won the competition, proudly commented on his thoughts on the challenge, “I’m happy because we won the victory by working together.” Meanwhile, Kaki of the Fragrant Dars team, who was sadly defeated, said with a bit of regret, “It was a very close call… but it was a lot of fun, and the prize was cute, so I’m going to share it later.”
Finally, Umezawa, on behalf of the members, commented on their enthusiasm as ambassadors for their third year. Umezawa said, “I think the word ‘smile’ came up a lot this time, but I think that in our third year, the commercial and key visuals have turned out to be full of smiles. As Nogizaka46, we always value the three words ‘effort, gratitude, smile’ in the huddle we hold before our live shows, and we realize that smiles are contagious. In our third year, we hope to spread singing, dancing, and smiles to many people and promote our group well,” she said sincerely, and the event concluded in a harmonious atmosphere.
■The autumns we want to enjoy with the members this year are Endo’s “Autumn of Coffee” and Sugawara’s “Autumn of Cameras.”
During the question and answer session after the event, when asked about her impressions of participating in the event for the first time, Iwamoto said, “I was really nervous and felt a lot of pressure, but once I actually got up there, there were some really fun projects and I got to smell the wonderful scent of DARS, so I think I had a great time participating. I think we all had smiles on our faces the whole time, so I think we were able to convey a lot of our love and charm for DARS.”
In addition, the members showed various reactions in the “Guess the contents of the box!” competition, but the question “Who is the most scared and mischievous among us?” was asked. In response, Umezawa commented, “As you can see from the event just now, I think the scarediest is Endo Sakura by far (laughs). She could only do one touch with Kiwi (laughs). She always stands tall on the stage, but I think it’s cute that she has a surprisingly scared side.” Endo lowered her head shyly. Regarding the “mischievous” side, Endo shared a cute episode, saying, “The two 5th generation members are mischievous, or rather, they like to mess with people. Whenever they have free time, they go next to their seniors and play with their hair or poke their cheeks.”
When asked, “Is there an episode this summer that made you smile?” Ichinose revealed her love for DARCE, saying, “During summer vacation, I went on a trip with a classmate, and I took a DARCE with me. It has a lid, so we could eat it while we were traveling, and it was soothing for the trip and put a lot of smiles on my face.”
Furthermore, in response to the question, “Is there anything you would like to enjoy with the other members this autumn? Please answer in the form of an ‘Autumn of XX’,” Endo replied, “It would be an ‘Autumn of Coffee.’ I usually spend a lot of time at home and don’t go out much except for work. I’ve always loved coffee, so I started out by trying to brew it from beans myself, but it’s quite difficult. I still have a long way to go before I can brew it properly. But black coffee and ‘DARS’ go well together, so I think it would be a great autumn if I could have something like a tea party with all the other members.” Sugawara replied, “I would like to make this an ‘Autumn of Cameras.’ I often see the other members carrying cameras, so I’m kind of tempted to start one myself. This autumn, I’d like to take some pictures with a proper camera.”
Finally, in response to the question, “At last year’s event you spoke of your vision to become a group that will be loved for a long time like DARS, how do you feel looking back on the past year?” Umezawa replied, “Last year was the first year with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation members, and this year is the second year, but it’s amazing to see how much everyone has grown. I also felt the strength of the members who were on stage with us today. Even though we’ve been a group for a long time, I really felt that there is still a lot we can do.”
About the new TV commercial “Everyone’s smiles are the result of milk.”
In the new commercial, 12 members of Nogizaka46 appear in two teams of six to match the two variations of “DARS” milk. The song is an arrangement of the melody of the children’s song “Mori no Kuma-san” (The Bear in the Forest), with original lyrics. The 12 members perform a stylish, heartwarming walking dance to the song, and the scene where they stuff their cheeks with “DARS” and share their big smiles is also worth watching.
On September 17th, the special website for the collaboration between “DARS” and Nogizaka46 will be reopened. From the same day, various plans will be implemented in the future, such as a campaign in which people who purchase designated products will be entered into a lottery to win prizes. Check the special website for details.
“DARS” x Nogizaka46″ special site
https://www.morinaga.co.jp/dars/nogizaka46/
Nogizaka46 OFFICIAL SITE
https://www.nogizaka46.com
