Ayu's Panasonic contract over?
 

On Panasonic's site, it says that tonight at 9 PM, a new image character will be revealed, who will be promoting the new FX700 camera. Does this mean Ayu's contract with them could possibly be over?


http://i38.tinypic.com/xndgle.png
http://panasonic.jp/dc/

http://i33.tinypic.com/14nlbm1.png
http://letsblog.panasonic.jp/touch/top.go

Maybe. I think we have not seen any Panasonic promotion since back in January with "Don't look back" and a Lumix camera; I think today's environment have changed.

But it's time to move on.

no way http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/cray2.gif
I love Ayu's Panasonic CMs so much

well, at least that'll mean no more over PS-ed Ayu posters :D~~ (imo ~imo~)

Panasonic was one of her most consistent ways of promotion though, she's already been dropped by a bunch of others (years ago) and has barely been appearing in half the magazines she used to... hmm...

LOL! That's looking on the bright side! I don't think I'll miss them either tbh.
But less promotion = :(

Maybe it's for the good.
ayu's panasonic CMs were great but it didn't seem like they helped her much in the last few years.

So she might get better tie-ins! :)

Well there is no way this could be a good thing, cuz considering everything I am not sure how easy will it be for Ayu to get another contract with another company that's as famous as Panasonic.

I hope she is continuing her contract with Panasonic. I would be sad if her contract with them is over. T_T

wahhhh Ayu got no more panasonic contract?
so saddd if it's truee...
well, i hope that Ayu gonna promo Panasonic TV maybe?

Worried about it....

I wonder if anyone will be asking her about this on Twitter... haha~

Panasonic also sponsors her tours and whatnot I believe. It always says so on CDL during credits and stuff.

See here on my Arena Tour 2008 ticket:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...g?t=1282204555

Yeah, but Kose kinda dropped their sponsorship after she stopped representing them in 2004. (They reappeared in 2007 for ASIA TOUR though... probably the other Asian branch or something?)

It'll all be sorted out when tie ups and etc are announced, I suppose.

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/n...1.html?ref=rss

This article seems to mention all of the Panasonic image characters... so is Ayu being replaced or is she just going to be promoting LUMIX along with this new person?

Maybe, but I'm very unsure. If think they'd want to renew their contract with her, and vice versa. Why not? It's been great promotion for both for years now, as I understand.

Maybe just some collab like Truehappiness said, or simply just a new character? Maybe they'll do the same type of commercial with both?

OMG...this can't be true !!!
i don't want this to be happen...PANASONIC pls consider twice !!!:(

well maybe Rimmel will sponsor her concerts now or something

Hey people maybe Ayu don't have time to turn a new cm so they chose a new person but they'll use an Ayu song again.

i think ayu is too busy thats why T.T
but i want her to continue with panasonic!

don't think that filming 30s CM + simple photoshoot takes much time...
I'm just hope we'll see Ayu again

if thats true im worried. thats not good news at all

^
Well, maybe she got an even better sponsor? :) It doesn't necessarily have to be bad news if she's not working with them anymore.

(and the new image character is Ayase Haruka)

haha

So it's ayase...she's cute

ayase?thats great!but i hope that ayu will still continue the contract with them

That's sucks if its true :(
I'll miss her promoting Digi-cams.

That would be great but it seems hard to believe now. Lets wait and see.

or even better, apple products, iPHone 4 :)

I was just going to say that, since she plugs it all the time in her TA blogs. :P

^
Apple don't need to pay Ayu for promoting the iPhone, she do it for free XD

While I am not saying that its likely, it is possible that Ayu moved to the ZX line, because many of the different models of cameras have different people in the cms,

And recently, I think starting from Sunset cm, the new ZX1 was also advertised along with FX version, because ZX3 was also advertised in Don't Look Back.

pffft about time

come on she's ayu,
she'll be asked by other big time companies for her to promote their items.


is she still doing morinaga hi chew?
it'll be cool if she does more.

I love her Panasonic CMs :( I wonder if they're just adding someone else, or if she's being replaced all together...

wahaha thats the truth :laugh


hey,i hope she will still be with Panasonic,i really love her Panasonic CMs,that would be sad and im gonna miss them and we barely got new CM just maybe from Honda(?) :( :(

no way~ i love her CMs~~

Let's see if Ayu could be in a Japanese Apple commercial or so...

I'll be really sad if she's done with Panasonic (or they're done with her.) :( But how funny would it be if Utada replaced her? :laugh She mentioned being in a new line of commercials recently. :innocent

It's not Utada, it's Ayase Haruka.

^Oh, is it? I should read the whole thread. xD I was just joking anyway~ cause that'd have been awkward.

I think Ayu's way too busy, that's why. I think now her interests are far different that the past, that's what I am seeing. This year's Ayu has been a DIFFERENT Ayu since the past; now she's more mature, and at a time like this, I think it was a good decision for Panasonic.

And, I think, this was Ayu's last shot at Panasonic: the digital cameras. That's all. And now, with the fact that their recent promotion is not involving Ayu anymore, the Ayu era of Panasonic might have just ended. Maybe what a shame, but I think it's safe to say that today's entertainment world has really changed significantly - and the technology - as we see competing products there. And Ayu, previously promoting D-snap MP3 players, which were competitors to the iPod, now has an iPhone, and the D-snap might have lost its composure, and I think now D-dock is an iPod/iPhone dock...

(see: http://panasonic.jp/products/digital.html)

I wish we could get more cosmetics ads with a more natural Ayu - maybe with a company like Shiseido.

I guess it doesn't help that Ayu has made it clear she takes all her photos with her iPhone.

^ Idk why, the iPhone has a horrible camera. That's probably why nobody in Japan buys them.

Still <3 u tho, iPhone.

Yeah, this.

Ayu doesn't need these tie-ins anymore, really O_o

She needs some kind of tie-in, or she'll fall apart completely :l

Not really good news, if it's true. Wasn't there a poll earlier this year, from companies who said they didn't want her as a spokesperson, or something?

So let's hope it's not true, and maybe Haruka and Ayu can be in a CM together? Haruka is really cute!

This has been said already, as much as she is busy now, she was way busier back in 2000 and maybe she isn't 20 anymore, but you can still hardly say she is busier than she ever was. She will always need sponsors for her tours ^^

Well, it's really sad to see that Panasonic is not using ayu anymore. Objectively speaking tho, I dun think ayu and Panasonic cannot help each other anymore. Ayu will not get more new fans with just holding a camera, and Panasonic won't get more cameras sold with ayu doing the cms. It's like both are getting to the saturation points.

I hope ayu will get some new contracts tho. I really miss the old days when her cms were fantastic, like morinaga series (hi-chew, chocolate), VISEE, beauty clinic, TU-KA, etc.

Dont you guys remember ayu still has Rimmel and Honda contact?

Panasonic seems change their marketing plan. They probably want to target teenagers group of buyers, and changed a new spokesperson

http://www.tokyohive.com/2010/08/har...for-panasonic/
New model for panasonic

^Yep, it's been mentioned that Haruka Ayase is the new Panasonic Model.




(Aww, Haruka & Bunny, so cute.....sorry Ayu)

I am glad that Panasonic had ayu for almost 10 years, compare to other companies that only had her for about 1-4 years. I am sure that everyone knows that they can't keep her forever... even those we are going to miss seeing her doing Panasonic cms.

So apparently, it seems to be a strategy change for Panasonic, as Ayu's quite a bit too old now and Panasonic needs to look for younger ones...

Maybe miwa and Sayuri Sugawara (both 20, compared to Ayu's 31, soon 32) could be possible spokespersons too, but that's really unlikely...

At least Ayu (and me) have an iPhone 4, really... That's much more advanced for Ayu and myself than just digital cameras - it has a (actually very good) five-megapixel camera (now with LED flash) and a phone, plus Internet, apps and more! No wonder why she has it for Twitter...

Aww, that pic with her and the bunny is better than any of ayu's panasonic ads ever. I think they made a good choice with the new one!

panasonic without ayu just like a food without the salt..
LOL..

n just for now i'll stop buying panasonic items
lol

Me 2...but that's okay...Ayu is still with Kosee Visee & others? :thud

^
Nope. She's not Visee Kose spokeswoman anymore. But she has a Rimmel contract instead :yes. And there's Zespri tie-in, and that energy drink thing, I can't remember its name lol. I guess, it's been a while she didn't a cms with them.
BTW sorry Haruka you're cute and natural looking, but I prefer Ayu :innocent
I don't like this news ;_; I'll miss her Panasonic CMs tho.

She is not pretty like ayu, but is ok.
I hope she can promote SONY, hehehehe
Or maybe VIDAL SASSON ? (sorry namie)

The energy drink is Morinaga's Weider in jelly, and she may still have a contract with Morinaga. And remember back into the early last decade when she had partnerships with Suntory's BOSS coffee and the Morinaga Hi-Chew?

I can agree that it's a good decision for Panasonic, because while it's nice to have a recognizable figure as your spokesperson/the face of your brand, and to keep that face regular, as a marketing strategy, Ayu is probably no longer right for them.
That said, for Ayu, I think this is quite the loss without a backup. It's very important for any artist to keep themselves marketable and to keep their face out there in the public eye. In today's music industry, even today's world, if you aren't constantly appearing (as Ayu is wont to do, working too hard!), people will forget about you, and you'll fall by the wayside. This seems to happen a lot to Korean artists who spend too much time promoting overseas, trying to break out in Japan or the US, and neglecting their Korean fanbase for many years.
Anyway, I'll be interested to see what contract Ayu can secure next! :)

LOLLLLLLL free mascara for everybody

i dont think rimmel will sponsor her tour .they are a foreiner brand . they just used ayu in japan " to blend in " , because it wouldnt have had much impact in japan if it was a "white model"

i m not surpised panasonic drop down ayu maybe they wanna give themself a "fresh " image or maybe there is somebody out there more popular that will help them sell better their stuff or maybe they siply want a "younger face"
even though i loved panasonic ayu cm because they were always original and ayu always looked so amazing , people in japan might have grew up tired of her ... she has represent the brand for so many years .

as someone said promoting those haven't helped ayu much , and it didnt help panasonic much either for the last few years ...

also from what i understood ayu dont want to do live on tv anymore because she wanna concentrate on her tour , im guessing dropping panasonic is part of it . she might wana focus on bigger tour or quality and it takes a lot of her time .

Larien----> i notice that with korean artists too . its a shame and so far most of them failed in US. i hate the way the change completly their style to do hip hop/rap as soon as they wanna appeal to US when its really not their style . seriously the hip hop/rap market is saturated , there is just too many of them it lacks of diversity .
i was surprise with boa recent come back she still have a HUGE fanbase in korea even though she didnt produce any albums over there for years

Gosh i hope ayu will never turn to hip hop to success in US.

^ Yeah, I really hope she doesn't go the Hikki route if she ever comes to the west :(

it's revealed that Ayase Haruka the new model for Panasonic LUMIX!
woahh!

i agree with you :P
although i love ayu,but i think ayase is cute and more energetic.i guess panasonic needs an energetic girl than a mature-ish woman?

But how do you know this? Sure ayu's sales are declining and all, but maybe it would have been an even larger decline without the CM's? And how do you know it hasn't helped panasonic for the last few years?

it's revealed that Ayase Haruka the new model for Panasonic LUMIX!
woahh!

i thought you just posted the same thing before me? :P
i think its time to have some fresh new image for the camera ambassadors :p

ayu get a contract with sony , everything should be fine XD

+100000000000000000000000000000 xD :P

It could be just for this pub, Ayu is oberbusy... we will see ^^

If they really totally dropped her, I'm really bummed. :( you can't have Panasonic without Ayu!!!

Who cares about Panasonic? Ayu has friggen Honda @_____@

Sorry if this comes off as rude, but do you wanna get married to your iPhone? :P I see you posting about it... a lot... xD

On topic now, the new girl is very plain looking. If they wanted to replace Ayu, they should've got someone as cute as her. :innocent

Kinda sad if she's completely gone from Panasonic, but only for nostalgic reasons, the commercials were always blah and the pictures not that great.

That could actually be a reason, it's like being a Pepsi spokesperson and walking around with a Coke can in your hand. Ok, not really, but still.

Seriously, the camera sucks. :laugh All you have to do is look at her twitter photos. Kinda sad people choose to preserve memories in such awful quality, but oh well. I wonder what happened to her Lumix mini SLR thing, she must have given up on it.

Umm...Sony? We know that's a competitor to Panasnoic, but they ALSO have a music label that is A COMPETITOR to Avex - Sony Music! Maybe Sony is NOT a good idea - Sony is for Sony... (electronic company for a music label)

No, ayu should either get Canon or Nikon.

or maybe with CORN FLAKES LOL XD XD
She is so busy now, probably we can see a new cm the next year

Ayu's panasonic cms used be so good and interesting...the recent ones are so boring....so I don't really care about the contract. Hopefully this means ayu will get a new deal somewhere.

not sony.. they are too stingy to get ayu... for some reasons.

nah. canon has avril lavigne, while nikon don't like to use high profile artist, they tend to use models instead.
seriously, i would rather casio drop this guy and use ayu instead. Or maybe i could start talking to my boss 101 reasons for him to make a proposal to the HQ to get ayu as the spokerperson.

It will be great! ayu will boast the sales of casio international more(and make my job easier :innocent, i'm a casio exilim promoter, not to mention that i can officially play ayu cms on my counter, whenever i feel like it).

There are people who pay attention to a brand BECAUSE ayu is the spokersperson!
and i believe ayu will love the dynamic photo function on casio camera! it's fun~~~

http://casio.jp/dc/products/ex_z2000/

i just don't like him... but there's no way i can say that to my boss...my head will roll...

Oh bah! :P You're such a party pooper! :irked I've seen B'z advertise KOSE and they're with GIZA! :laugh Besides, Sony the music label and Sony the electronics company are two completely different enitites! :P

I'd say Ayu should go with Canon or Nikkon too~ lulz~ XD better cameras :P

ayu should also drop her iphone, i dont know how anyone can like the iphone XD

ahhh.... i luv ayu panasonic cm's! they are always so high tech and cool!

Ayu should promote Canon stuff. Those are popular. I'm sure it would be good. Canon stuff rulez. <3

But look at the top right of the Sony Music site - they carry the Sony logo, which is an electronics company...
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/

I think Ayu should go with apple lol

You know how much they love to photoshop stuff.

i didnt say I KNOW for sure or for a fact. i dont work for avex or panasonic. its all a supposition that could explain why panasonic drop ayu . i never mention ayu's sale ....(and honestly i dont care about the ayu sales because sales dont make the song any worse or better , i only care about her and her music )

in the past when ayu used to sell ove a million albums people did tend to buy panasonic because of ayu but now IT SEEMS LIKE since people saw her every years for so many years the sales dont go up because ayu is doing the promotion anymore . there is tons of artists who sales more than ayu thats why i think if they use someone that is "it " right now it might get more influence on the young generation .

also ayu is known well enough ,she doesnt need those kind of commercial to help her singles. poeple dont go like " oh who's singing this song or who's this voice ? " thats why i supposed it didnt help ayu sell more singles .

i agree with the people who said ayu have now a mature image .. too mature for the people they target . young people in japan always want the newest stuff and will tend to buy anything thats release just to have the latest , older people unlike young ones will look more for quality , buy one and use it for a year or more ...
that can explain why they also changed for someone younger

i d love to see a collaboration ayu feat nikon or canon that would be cool

----> i agree with you i d be really sad. if only she could come to the west i would definatly buy vip tickets for ayu .

uhmm I hope her contract isn't over lol so when did she start working together with Panasonic?? wasn't it around 10 years ago?? or maybe more?

Maybe her contract was only for 10 years or something?? She was with tuka and all those random brands before Panasonic that I remember... uhmm...


I hope she surprises us with another panasonic commercial for crossroad or something! xD

mmm most likely maybe they wanted to drop her before but had to keep her till the contract ? who knows.
i really loved those cms because she always had a different and interresting style in it

honnestly i was expecting them to do something big for the 10th anniversary commercial like a mini movie with ayu . or a complete series of cms that fallow each other

True...
I feel she's going to make a comeback in commercials with Panasonic or without it! I mean, we are used to those type of lumix cms, and I guess that's why is kinda sad.

I remember watching that cm when she looked like a maiko, omg she looked just gorgeous! ayumi is LUMIX :yes I think they're gonna be in trouble when they drop her xD

:laugh But Sony Music is different from Sony altogether! Sony Music to me is just another record label (a different office)! :laugh The electronics are a different department! :P

10 years is a long time for a contract I think for something like this...

I mean, it's got to end sometime lol

Panasonic won't be in trouble if they drop her. Honestly, how many spokespeople do they have? I never thought she was particularly well advertised on their site or anything...I mean, we see it, because we're specifically looking for it...but I mean...I remember going to their site and having a hard time finding the stuff for Ayu lol

I guess it's a big deal, because it's a contract and whatever, but honestly, I don't think it'll make that much of a difference for either of them.

i notice that too about her not being well advertise on the website . in a other hand they wanna put the camera first , even in the commercial you see more the camera than ayu ... and its normal .

true 10 years is pretty long .... 20 years would be just insane .

i agree with you its wont make a big difference on both side ...

i wonder if the new model will help though ?

SURREAL__RAINBOW---> the maiko cm is my favorit too.

Ayu still has Honda..
isn't that the new one for her?
no Panasonic, she still has Honda :)
still glad for her...

She has been with Honda since very late 2008/early 2009 ("Rule").

Hope that Ayu would still be part of the Panasonic family. Maybe panasonic were just adding a new model.

Bigtop, yeah that's not so long ago rite... she was with Panasonic since pretty long time ago~

and Ayu may be endorsing another Panasonic products.. like Koyuki (or something), she endorse the viera TV..
who knows Ayu endorses the Panasonic LED 3D?? haha XD

Actually, wasn't Ayu a Honda spokesperson back when she debuted? For the Crea, remember that?
But yea, she still has HONDA and RIMMEL, and all those Weider and Kiwi CM's. Those will definitely keep her in the spotlight for a while.
It is a bit sad to know there will be no more cool AyuxPanasonic CM's, though. And the new model looks REALLY familiar to me, I just cannot place where I have seen her before.

New model is really pretty ^-^

And Panasonic had to do this just when I bought camera from them.
grrrrr....