Japanese Convenience Store Chain LAWSON Enlists Studio Ghibli to Produce New Commercial
With help from actual LAWSON’s employees.
After coming together in 2001 on a commercial to promote a tie-in merchandise campaign for Spirited Away, Japanese convenience store chain LAWSON has enlisted Studio Ghibli on a new commercial.
The 15-second clip was developed by the lauded animation studio and is centered around the daily life of a LAWSON convenience store. Although the lead focus of the commercial is Saki (the little girl in the 2001 commercial all grown up), it is interesting to note the Osamu Tanabe, the animator responsible for the design and composition of the commercial actually works at LAWSON part-time. Tanabe is notable for working on the character designs and animation style on the popular Ghibli feature The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Maintaining the authentic feel of the commercial, real LAWSON convenience store employees were recruited to provide voices for the characters.
Watch the new LAWSON x Studio Ghibli commercial above and catch their original 2001 collaboration below.
In case you missed it, ’90s favorite Galactic Fruit Gushers recently made its triumphant return.
