What Humanity Needs in the AI Era? Stationery Four Brands Joint Project 'Esoragoto for Humanity' TV Commercial Broadcast Begins
Astrum Co., Ltd. announces the nationwide broadcast of a TV commercial for the joint project 'Esoragoto for Humanity,' involving four stationery brands: Plus, Pentel, Sailor Pen, and Nihon Note, starting May 1, 2026. The project emphasizes the importance of human imagination and the ability to envision 'esoragoto' (fanciful ideas) as a driving force for progress in the AI era, with stationery supporting this creativity.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 14:06 (34 min after Collected)
Astrum Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Junichi Ishigaki) will begin broadcasting a TV commercial nationwide for the joint project 'Esoragoto for Humanity,' involving four stationery brands: Plus, Pentel, Sailor Pen, and Nihon Note, starting May 1, 2026 (Friday).
The four brands—Plus, Pentel, Sailor Pen, and Nihon Note—launched the 'Esoragoto for Humanity' project in December 2025 as part of Plus Group's initiative to create new value in the stationery business. The 'Esoragoto for Humanity' project asks the world, 'Isn't the ability to envision fanciful ideas ('esoragoto') the seed that advances humanity?'
This commercial depicts how human 'esoragoto' has opened up the world. Starting with expressions in prehistoric cave paintings, it traces the trajectory of how 'impossible' ideas—laughed at as 'esoragoto'—have shaped the future: the desire to 'fly freely in the sky' became airplanes, the idea of 'being active day and night even at night' became light bulbs, and the dream of 'traveling in space' was realized as rockets.
Even in today's world, where AI technology has permeated society and made it possible to proceed rationally with many things, the 'power to envision what does not exist' is a creativity that only humans possess. And stationery has been the closest support for this power to envision 'esoragoto.' As stationery manufacturers, we believe our mission is not merely to provide tools, but to continue supporting the very power of people to freely envision 'esoragoto.'
Through the message 'Esoragoto for Humanity,' we express our wish to help people reclaim this power to envision 'esoragoto' and connect it to the power to create the future.
Moving forward, based on this concept, we will expand into experiential events for general consumers and a joint exhibition for distributors involving the four brands. Please look forward to the future of the four brands.
■ TV Commercial Overview ■
・Title: 'Esoragoto for Humanity'
・Duration: 30 seconds
・Broadcast Start Date: May 1, 2026 (Friday)
・TVCM Video URL: https://youtu.be/TUANjP7iJUI
・Message:
Paper plans,
May just inflate.
Armchair theories, are not empty.
'Esoragoto' holds dreams.
What is laughed at as impossible,
Will create the future.
This sensation, unique to humans,
Is the antithesis of AI.
Esoragoto for Humanity.
■ What is the 'Esoragoto for Humanity' Project? ■
In prehistoric times, when there was no writing, humans drew murals in caves, connected stars in the night sky, and created constellations by depicting people and animals. Human intelligence may have blossomed from drawing such 'esoragoto.'
However, today, we have somehow become accustomed to a life of merely chasing given information, with imagination, creation, and even the judgment of right and wrong being swayed by the internet and relying on AI. If this continues, aren't we at risk of losing even the fundamental joy and meaning of human existence?
The 'Esoragoto for Humanity' project was started with such thoughts by the four stationery brands—Plus, Pentel, Sailor Pen, and Nihon Note—to ask the world, 'Isn't the ability to envision fanciful ideas ('esoragoto') the seed that advances humanity?' We believe that stationery is a tool that generates imagination. Therefore, we, as those involved, believe it is our mission to deliver a business that helps the world reclaim the power to envision 'esoragoto.'
In January 2026, 'Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.0,' an experimental expression of the concept of 'Esoragoto for Humanity,' was privately unveiled by invitation only to approximately 1,000 people, including internal and external stakeholders, at Hibiya OKUROJI. Urban Cave Esoragoto was an installation supervised by creator Takayuki Ohira, who continuously produces cutting-edge planetariums.
■ Future Developments ■
Moving forward, based on this concept, we will expand into experiential events for general consumers and a joint exhibition for distributors.
1. Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.1
Scheduled: June 19 (Friday) - July 13 (Monday), 2026
Location: Hibiya OKUROJI
Target: General consumers, distributors
Participation Method: Pre-registration required
*Event details and application methods will be announced later, around mid-May.
2. 2026 Team Esoragoto Exhibition
Scheduled: July 2 (Thursday) - 3 (Friday), 2026
Location: Takeshiba NEW PIER HALL
The four brands—Plus, Pentel, Sailor Pen, and Nihon Note—launched the 'Esoragoto for Humanity' project in December 2025 as part of Plus Group's initiative to create new value in the stationery business. The 'Esoragoto for Humanity' project asks the world, 'Isn't the ability to envision fanciful ideas ('esoragoto') the seed that advances humanity?'
This commercial depicts how human 'esoragoto' has opened up the world. Starting with expressions in prehistoric cave paintings, it traces the trajectory of how 'impossible' ideas—laughed at as 'esoragoto'—have shaped the future: the desire to 'fly freely in the sky' became airplanes, the idea of 'being active day and night even at night' became light bulbs, and the dream of 'traveling in space' was realized as rockets.
Even in today's world, where AI technology has permeated society and made it possible to proceed rationally with many things, the 'power to envision what does not exist' is a creativity that only humans possess. And stationery has been the closest support for this power to envision 'esoragoto.' As stationery manufacturers, we believe our mission is not merely to provide tools, but to continue supporting the very power of people to freely envision 'esoragoto.'
Through the message 'Esoragoto for Humanity,' we express our wish to help people reclaim this power to envision 'esoragoto' and connect it to the power to create the future.
Moving forward, based on this concept, we will expand into experiential events for general consumers and a joint exhibition for distributors involving the four brands. Please look forward to the future of the four brands.
■ TV Commercial Overview ■
・Title: 'Esoragoto for Humanity'
・Duration: 30 seconds
・Broadcast Start Date: May 1, 2026 (Friday)
・TVCM Video URL: https://youtu.be/TUANjP7iJUI
・Message:
Paper plans,
May just inflate.
Armchair theories, are not empty.
'Esoragoto' holds dreams.
What is laughed at as impossible,
Will create the future.
This sensation, unique to humans,
Is the antithesis of AI.
Esoragoto for Humanity.
■ What is the 'Esoragoto for Humanity' Project? ■
In prehistoric times, when there was no writing, humans drew murals in caves, connected stars in the night sky, and created constellations by depicting people and animals. Human intelligence may have blossomed from drawing such 'esoragoto.'
However, today, we have somehow become accustomed to a life of merely chasing given information, with imagination, creation, and even the judgment of right and wrong being swayed by the internet and relying on AI. If this continues, aren't we at risk of losing even the fundamental joy and meaning of human existence?
The 'Esoragoto for Humanity' project was started with such thoughts by the four stationery brands—Plus, Pentel, Sailor Pen, and Nihon Note—to ask the world, 'Isn't the ability to envision fanciful ideas ('esoragoto') the seed that advances humanity?' We believe that stationery is a tool that generates imagination. Therefore, we, as those involved, believe it is our mission to deliver a business that helps the world reclaim the power to envision 'esoragoto.'
In January 2026, 'Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.0,' an experimental expression of the concept of 'Esoragoto for Humanity,' was privately unveiled by invitation only to approximately 1,000 people, including internal and external stakeholders, at Hibiya OKUROJI. Urban Cave Esoragoto was an installation supervised by creator Takayuki Ohira, who continuously produces cutting-edge planetariums.
■ Future Developments ■
Moving forward, based on this concept, we will expand into experiential events for general consumers and a joint exhibition for distributors.
1. Urban Cave Esoragoto ver.1
Scheduled: June 19 (Friday) - July 13 (Monday), 2026
Location: Hibiya OKUROJI
Target: General consumers, distributors
Participation Method: Pre-registration required
*Event details and application methods will be announced later, around mid-May.
2. 2026 Team Esoragoto Exhibition
Scheduled: July 2 (Thursday) - 3 (Friday), 2026
Location: Takeshiba NEW PIER HALL