Lady Gaga joined the staff in a new FamilyMart Japan commercial, and it deserves more attention. Released nationwide on Sept. 25 to celebrate FamilyMart’s 45th anniversary and set to the sounds of “Killah,” the commercial features Gaga in a stylish black-and-white video set inside what appears to be a FamilyMart store, with only the chain’s signature colors of blue and green popping up. Her look also caught people’s attention. She wore a black leather dress with details of an employee uniform and black vinyl gloves that add her own personal style, along with FamilyMart’s own apparel socks, launched in 2021, and another signature pair of heels.
Choosing a global star like Lady Gaga was intentional, and so was her styling. FamilyMart’s idea behind the campaign was not only to convey appeal and excitement for having an A-list celebrity in a recruitment advertisement, but also to bring a purpose behind it. Compared to other convenience stores in Japan, FamilyMart’s intent is to be the place younger generations want to work, and this pick coincides with the company’s recent relaxation of strict corporate grooming rules, such as lifting bans on certain hair dyes and large earrings, encouraging workers to maintain their own individual style in work settings.
This kind of incentive is extremely important in facing Japan’s acute labor shortage, which is driven by a shrinking and aging population that has reduced the pool of available part-time workers who traditionally staff convenience stores. Other chains like 7-Eleven, instead of going for a pop-culture buzz, relied exclusively on operational strategies and automation. As a result, 7-Eleven saw only slight operating profit growth. FamilyMart, facing a 30% shortfall in staff across Japan, experienced a 17.9% jump in operating profits from heavy media attention and cultural relevance.
The way this ad is read in Japan compared to America reveals a fascinating cultural flip. In Japan, the FamilyMart campaign featuring Lady Gaga represents a radical and unprecedented change, altering how celebrity power is used. For decades, Japanese commercials were product-focused or discount-driven. Recruitment, on the other hand, was incredibly conservative, featuring plain imagery, rigid uniform standards, and emphasis on conformity.
The same week this commercial was released, I was part of an interesting discussion that made me compare it with what American food and retail companies have been doing to promote and incentivize people to work for them, despite the fact that they don’t face the same aging labor problems and worker shortages. In the media, instead of using celebrities, it has become increasingly common for us to see regular employees or influencers sharing their “day in the life” on TikTok and Instagram Reels that realistically show what a shift looks like. Chains like Target, Starbucks, and Chipotle even encourage or hire real baristas and cashiers to film unpolished, honest content showing what a workday really involves. It is simply a different way to portray authenticity for future employees.
I believe choosing Lady Gaga made perfect sense. As a fan, I know how much love she carries for Japan — she even has “Tokyo Love” tattooed on her left shoulder. FamilyMart also insisted on including a clip of her handling the chain’s cooked-in-store Famichiki boneless fried chicken, which she has previously mentioned being very fond of.
It is interesting to see two different approaches to marketing across cultures and countries. A global star in Japan and unpolished TikToks in the U.S. look nothing alike, but both point to the same idea: people want work that lets them be themselves.