Dentsu opens Kodansha IP to brands across Americas

The agreement covers promotional activities including brand campaigns, events and experiential activations, with titles such as Attack on Titan, Ghost in the Shell and Blue Lock included.

Dentsu has partnered with Japanese publisher Kodansha to give clients access to a range of anime and manga intellectual property across the Americas.

Under the partnership, dentsu will act as the primary contact for brands seeking to use participating Kodansha-owned IP. The arrangement comes as anime and manga attract broader audiences and increasing commercial activity in the Americas.

Dentsu connects brands with Kodansha IP

The partnership gives dentsu clients a single route to access participating Kodansha anime and manga properties. Brands can incorporate the IP into campaigns and experiential marketing activities, using established fan communities and the cultural recognition of the titles.

Dentsu says its proprietary Japanese intellectual property research is integrated into its dentsu.Connect data and identity platform, providing additional data capabilities around the IP and its audiences.

Anime market expands across the Americas

Grand View Research forecasts the global anime market to reach approximately $60.27 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of about 9.8 percent from 2025 to 2030. In the US, the market was estimated at $2.587 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $7.933 billion by 2033, with a forecast CAGR of about 13 percent from 2025 to 2033.

Dentsu's Anime – A Growing Opportunity for Brands research also found that 36 percent of US consumers watch anime at least weekly. The agency says anime and manga audiences span multiple age groups, creating opportunities for brands seeking to engage established fan communities.

Kodansha IP supports brand campaigns

The partnership is designed to give participating dentsu clients access to Kodansha-owned IP for brand campaigns and experiential activity across the Americas. Dentsu will provide the commercial interface between brands and the publisher for these opportunities.

Caroline Hughes, Global Integrated Client Partner, dentsu: “Anime has evolved from a niche to a mainstream cultural phenomenon. By partnering with Kodansha, we are offering our clients access to some of the most powerful and culturally embedded IP in the anime and manga universe and enabling brand-first activations and fan-centric opportunities across the Americas.”

The arrangement also gives brands a route to work with IP associated with established fan bases, while incorporating anime and manga properties into broader marketing activity.

Kodansha expands commercial routes for IP

Tomoki Moriguchi, Director at Rights Merchandising Department, Kodansha: “We are excited to collaborate with dentsu in bringing our IP to brands in the Americas region. Our characters and stories resonate with fans globally, and this partnership enables new experiences and commercial pathways.”

The agreement covers the Americas and is focused on promotional uses of participating Kodansha IP, including campaigns, events and experiences.

www.dentsu.com

www.kodansha.us

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