Kikkoman turned the backyard barbecue into shonen anime for its teriyaki line

Give the new teriyaki BBQ range a campaign that is fresh and youthful without losing the cultural authenticity of the anime language it borrows.

Production company Hornet and director Clubcamping built the spots with artist Agustín Graham Nakamura, whose contemporary anime and manga work, Japanese heritage and experience in Japan anchored the style, blending classic anime language with subtle Gen Z influences. Live-action director Jenna Gang then brought the stylized animated skewers and grilled veggies into the real world as a decadent feast coexisting with the animated world.

No measured results are given. Motionographer featured the spots, describing a campaign that is 'fresh, youthful' and balances authenticity with a contemporary feel.

For the launch of Kikkoman's teriyaki BBQ lineup, agency BSSP brought in production company Hornet and directing duo Clubcamping, who worked closely with artist Agustín Graham Nakamura — a contemporary anime and manga artist whose Japanese heritage and experience in Japan brought an added layer of cultural faithfulness. The spots blend action-packed shonen anime with artful, hand-made sensibilities, and classic anime language with subtle Gen Z influences.

The premise: with the right sauce, a simple backyard BBQ becomes the stuff of legend, turning everyday hangs into iconic moments that live on in the group chat. Photographer Jenna Gang's food photography then carries the stylized animated skewers, grilled veggies and more into the real world as a decadent feast that cohesively exists alongside the world Clubcamping designed.

Motionographer featured the work in July 2026 with full credits spanning Hornet's production team and Clubcamping's animation crew. No commercial results or market rollout details for the campaign are given.

Anime and teriyaki share a cultural root, so the style reads as native to the product rather than pasted on.

Drawing the food as anime and then cooking it for real makes the product the bridge between two worlds.

Nakamura's heritage kept the anime pastiche faithful instead of a borrowed costume.

'Legendary' reframes an ordinary weeknight cookout as a story worth posting about.

When borrowing a style with living fans, put an artist of that culture in the room — authenticity is what stops pastiche from reading as costume.

Motionographer published the feature on 1 July 2026. The post gives no airdate plan, market list or performance results for the campaign.