DAN DAN meets DAN DA DAN
The social-first campaign pairs Nissin’s new Japan-origin noodle line with the anime series DAN DA DAN; marks the first use of the IP to originate from dentsu’s anime business in the US market.
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Agency Dentsu have announced a social-first campaign for Nissin Foods (U.S.A.) Co., Inc. that pairs the company’s new Bold Tastes of Tokyo noodle line with the popular TV anime series DAN DA DAN.
The campaign rolled out in short teaser films built around DAN DA DAN, followed by a longer branded film, across Instagram and TikTok. The campaign supports the US launch of Bold Tastes of Tokyo in three flavours, timed to the cooler months when instant noodle consumption rises: Dan Dan (spicy sesame), Tonkotsu and Spicy Miso.
In this new campaign, building on the more than 50-year relationship between Nissin and dentsu, first nurtured in Japan, dentsu led strategy, creative and media as integrated agency and growth partner. The IP selection and creative territory were shaped by dentsu’s Gen Z consumer insights team and proprietary anime IP fan analysis using Fandom Intelligence, which dentsu used to identify titles with active fandoms that advertisers have not yet saturated.
The opportunity to meet consumers in their favourite fandom sits in the gap between anime’s audience size and the narrow set of titles brands actually license. Dentsu research published in 2025 found that 36 percent of US consumers watch anime at least weekly, and that 40 percent of US anime viewers had spent more than US$200 on IP-inspired merchandise in the previous 12 months.
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View on- Agency Dentsu Creative/New York
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powered by- Agency Dentsu Creative/New York
The campaign is part of J!P (Japanese IP), dentsu’s initiative to develop new ways for brands to connect with consumers through Japanese manga and anime. It draws on dentsu’s heritage and expertise in anime licensing in Japan, which the company brought to the US with the launch of “dentsu anime solutions” in June 2025 to support the overseas development of Japanese anime content.
Interest in Japan among US consumers has risen alongside anime’s reach. Tourist volumes from the United States to Japan reached 3.3 million in 2025, up 21 percent year on year and passing three million for the first time, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.
Kazuo Koike, Head of US/Japan Synergy, dentsu, said: “Anime in the US is no longer a subculture that brands visit; it is a mainstream viewing habit with real spending behind it. The work for Nissin started from fan behaviour rather than from a media plan, which is why the partnership goes beyond a simple licensing deal, connecting Nissin with real audience demand.”
Masashi Inoi, Vice President, Marketing, Nissin Foods Americas Inc., said: “Bold Tastes of Tokyo brings a Japanese noodle experience to American kitchens, so partnering with a Japanese title that US fans already follow closely was the natural way to introduce it. Dentsu helped us develop an idea that fans would recognise as authentic rather than borrowed, supporting us as a true growth partner.”
