Advertising agencies, media and consumer market: the changing quality of TV advertising in Japan

Based on the view that an organizational understanding is crucial to the content analysis of cultural products including advertisements, this article examines the economic conditions which determine the production of television commercials in Japan. Unlike the West, where creative agencies are paid fees, the commission-based remuneration system for agencies prevails in Japan, resulting in a lack of creative rivalry. With the shift from programme sponsorship towards the buying of 15-second spots by advertisers, the prospect for creativity seems limited. As the Japanese markets have become more open and competitive since the 1980s, the stakes have become too high for manufacturers to allow non-conventional, innovative ideas and techniques to be used in television commercials. The way in which the agencies will resolve the dilemma between presenting themselves as the professionals in strategic communications services and insisting on the commission system will further affect the quality of the commercials and media culture.