ライオン | チャーミーグリーン | 1992
The one that suddenly popped back into my head while washing dishes / Lion "Charmy Green" CM 1992
I was washing dishes just now when this suddenly came back to me out of nowhere. Songs really do stick in your brain in a scary way. Along with that tune — "Using Charmy Green makes me want to hold your hand~♪" — the image of a married couple holding hands and dancing while they shop comes rushing back, and even now, more than 30 years later, I can picture it vividly. Just that alone tells you this ad was a win.
The insight
Detergent ads these days tend to focus entirely on things like "it washes off fast" or "a little goes a long way," but putting the core message on "gentleness born from plants" — the idea that because it's gentle on your hands, you want to hold hands — is really great. Turning a product feature into the act of "holding hands." That's what makes it so strong.
The idea
A series of ads featuring ordinary, non-professional people singing and dancing. The simple setup: a married couple holding hands and shopping while dancing rhythmically.
What happened
This commercial series won the ACC Award in 1983.
Afterthought
Honestly, it even feels like something from 2020. Ordinary people singing and dancing — that's basically YouTube, or even TikTok. Was it way ahead of its time, or just timeless? I kind of hope Lion brings it back someday.
