“Just Remember Our Name!” Ken Watanabe Passionately Speaks at a Powerful Factory: Proterial, the Material Professional, to Release New Commercial on May 1st (Friday)
Proterial Corporation will release a new commercial titled "Proterial, the Company" featuring actor Ken Watanabe, starting May 1, 2026. This commercial aims to convey the company's over 100 years of history and its pride as a professional in high-performance materials, depicting Ken Watanabe passionately speaking at a factory.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 09:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 00:31
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Proterial Corporation (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "Proterial") will sequentially begin broadcasting its new commercial "Proterial, the Company" Parts 1 and 2 (15 seconds/30 seconds each), featuring actor Ken Watanabe as its new image character to lead the company's brand image, starting May 1, 2026 (Friday) in the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and San'in areas.
Proterial is a company that manufactures high-performance materials, primarily metals, which determine product performance in various fields such as aircraft, energy, power electronics, EVs, and industrial machinery. With over 100 years of history, we have continuously refined our unique technological capabilities, leading the progress of society and industry through material innovation. This new commercial was produced with a strong desire to directly convey our unparalleled passion for manufacturing and our "pride as professionals" to everyone, along with the name "Proterial."
Proterial has a history and technological prowess spanning over 100 years, originating from "Tatara ironmaking," and embodies its pride as a "material professional" in its company name. We appointed Ken Watanabe, who possesses world-class persuasiveness and a stoic, professional demeanor as an actor, as the embodiment of our goal to become a "global brand originating from Japan."
In this new commercial, Ken Watanabe appears at our impressive production sites. In a dynamic environment where red-hot metal ingots are forged, or in a precise development site where cutting-edge technology shines, he holds a board with the name "Proterial" written on it and speaks directly, undeterred by the operating noise. The repeated emphasis on the company name conveys the message, "We want you to know Proterial," and Ken Watanabe's overwhelming passion and persuasive acting embody Proterial's unwavering determination.
In conjunction with the new commercial's release, making-of footage filmed at the factory and a special interview video with Ken Watanabe will also be released.
CM Special Site: https://www.proterial.com/corp/cm-gallery/
■ CM Details
The biggest highlight of this commercial is the profound and persuasive presence of world-renowned actor Ken Watanabe at an actual manufacturing site, and his straightforward appeal passionately conveying Proterial's aspirations. He appears on two different stages: a dynamic factory where red-hot metal ingots are forged, and a precise development site where cutting-edge technology shines. In a realistic environment filled with powerful machinery sounds and heavy metallic noises, he directly asks, "Do you know Proterial?"
In the video, he unravels our identity as a company that has created innovative materials as a professional in materials, saying "Pro-Material... Proterial," and finally declares powerfully, "Just remember our name!" Ken Watanabe's impressive acting, repeatedly emphasizing the company name and speaking passionately, is a must-see.
■ About the Special Interview & Making-of Video
Closely following the CM filming in late February, a making-of video and a special interview video with Ken Watanabe will be released in conjunction with the main commercial.
Q. About episodes during the CM filming
When I was first asked, "Would you come to the factory?" I was surprised, thinking, "I'm actually going to a factory." I also had many discussions with the creative team about how to deliver this commercial.
But in the end, I was overwhelmed by the power of the factory (laughs).
Recently, many productions are made with CG (green screen), but being able to film while feeling the temperature, pride, and passion of the actual production site where products are born, it blew away all my worries.
Q. How was it to actually come to the "Yasugi Plant" for the CM filming?
To deeply understand all the processes and what was happening there, time was limited, and I was also focused on filming. However, seeing the atmosphere of the people working at the factory and their dedication to their work made me strongly feel, "I'm going to support this company."
Q. The company name embodies the meaning of "professional." What does "professional" mean to you, Mr. Watanabe?
I believe a professional is someone who can continue to challenge themselves without giving up, even when facing walls and difficulties that inevitably arise in the process of creating something. I imagine that even in this factory, there are various walls and difficulties in product manufacturing, and I feel that everyone is overcoming them with their strength, energy, and passion.
Q. The company name also embodies the meaning of "progressive" (the will to continue challenging). What do you do to "continue challenging without fear of change," Mr. Watanabe?
Proterial is a company that manufactures high-performance materials, primarily metals, which determine product performance in various fields such as aircraft, energy, power electronics, EVs, and industrial machinery. With over 100 years of history, we have continuously refined our unique technological capabilities, leading the progress of society and industry through material innovation. This new commercial was produced with a strong desire to directly convey our unparalleled passion for manufacturing and our "pride as professionals" to everyone, along with the name "Proterial."
Proterial has a history and technological prowess spanning over 100 years, originating from "Tatara ironmaking," and embodies its pride as a "material professional" in its company name. We appointed Ken Watanabe, who possesses world-class persuasiveness and a stoic, professional demeanor as an actor, as the embodiment of our goal to become a "global brand originating from Japan."
In this new commercial, Ken Watanabe appears at our impressive production sites. In a dynamic environment where red-hot metal ingots are forged, or in a precise development site where cutting-edge technology shines, he holds a board with the name "Proterial" written on it and speaks directly, undeterred by the operating noise. The repeated emphasis on the company name conveys the message, "We want you to know Proterial," and Ken Watanabe's overwhelming passion and persuasive acting embody Proterial's unwavering determination.
In conjunction with the new commercial's release, making-of footage filmed at the factory and a special interview video with Ken Watanabe will also be released.
CM Special Site: https://www.proterial.com/corp/cm-gallery/
■ CM Details
The biggest highlight of this commercial is the profound and persuasive presence of world-renowned actor Ken Watanabe at an actual manufacturing site, and his straightforward appeal passionately conveying Proterial's aspirations. He appears on two different stages: a dynamic factory where red-hot metal ingots are forged, and a precise development site where cutting-edge technology shines. In a realistic environment filled with powerful machinery sounds and heavy metallic noises, he directly asks, "Do you know Proterial?"
In the video, he unravels our identity as a company that has created innovative materials as a professional in materials, saying "Pro-Material... Proterial," and finally declares powerfully, "Just remember our name!" Ken Watanabe's impressive acting, repeatedly emphasizing the company name and speaking passionately, is a must-see.
■ About the Special Interview & Making-of Video
Closely following the CM filming in late February, a making-of video and a special interview video with Ken Watanabe will be released in conjunction with the main commercial.
Q. About episodes during the CM filming
When I was first asked, "Would you come to the factory?" I was surprised, thinking, "I'm actually going to a factory." I also had many discussions with the creative team about how to deliver this commercial.
But in the end, I was overwhelmed by the power of the factory (laughs).
Recently, many productions are made with CG (green screen), but being able to film while feeling the temperature, pride, and passion of the actual production site where products are born, it blew away all my worries.
Q. How was it to actually come to the "Yasugi Plant" for the CM filming?
To deeply understand all the processes and what was happening there, time was limited, and I was also focused on filming. However, seeing the atmosphere of the people working at the factory and their dedication to their work made me strongly feel, "I'm going to support this company."
Q. The company name embodies the meaning of "professional." What does "professional" mean to you, Mr. Watanabe?
I believe a professional is someone who can continue to challenge themselves without giving up, even when facing walls and difficulties that inevitably arise in the process of creating something. I imagine that even in this factory, there are various walls and difficulties in product manufacturing, and I feel that everyone is overcoming them with their strength, energy, and passion.
Q. The company name also embodies the meaning of "progressive" (the will to continue challenging). What do you do to "continue challenging without fear of change," Mr. Watanabe?