Asahi Shimbun Releases CM for Summer High School Baseball Tournament

The Asahi Shimbun Company (President and CEO: Kaku Tsunoda) released the official commercial for the 108th National High School Baseball Championship (sponsored by The Asahi Shimbun and the Japan High School Baseball Federation, scheduled to open on August 5) on June 4. This year, for the first time in six years, the tournament will be energized by a cheer dance performed by high school students. The company produced 15-second, 30-second, and 60-second versions, as well as a full-length version for exclusive web release, all available on the Asahi Shimbun corporate website and official YouTube channel. A version will also be uploaded later on Virtual Koshien. Broadcast on TV Asahi affiliates will begin in early July. A 20-second radio version has also been produced and is scheduled to air on ABC Radio starting in early July. The theme of the commercial is 'Infinite Power in an Instant.' Inspired by the tournament number '108,' the theme emphasizes the importance of each moment. The dance club of Minoh High School, fellow high school students, performs a dance that values every second, cheering on the high school baseball players. For the national tournament, a two-part system is being implemented again this year as a heat countermeasure. The commercial reflects this with day and night scenes. The daytime scene captures the freshness of youth, while the nighttime scene features the sharp, hard-hitting street dance that the Minoh High School dance club excels at. The chorus of the tournament song 'The Crown Shines on You' features an easy-to-imitate choreography called 'Dadada Dance,' involving small body movements, created by the Minoh High School dance club to encourage everyone to dance along. Choreography videos for the chorus will be distributed on social media alongside the commercial. The goal is to get people of all ages to imitate the dance and boost excitement for high school baseball. The arrangement of the tournament song was handled by Yamato Mori, a young virtuoso who won the electric guitar world championship 'Young Guitarist of the Year 2019 powered by Ernie Ball' (for guitarists aged 16 and under) when he was a high school student. The music is expected to resonate not only with high school students striving for their dreams but also with everyone involved in high school baseball. A behind-the-scenes 'Dance CM Making' video has been released on Virtual Koshien, showing the process from the dance club's initial choreography ideas to rehearsals and the final shoot. The video aims to convey the passion high school students have for dance, just like in high school baseball. The commercial is currently available on Virtual Koshien. For web distribution, 15-second, 30-second, 60-second, and full-length versions are available on YouTube and the Asahi Shimbun corporate site. TV commercials will air on ABC and affiliated stations starting in early July. Radio commercials will air on ABC Radio starting in early July. Social media distribution will include the Asahi Shimbun's TikTok account. The commercial features the Osaka Prefectural Minoh High School Dance Club, with music by Yamato Mori.