SixTONES‘ Hokuto Matsumura appears for the first time in a SoftBank commercial to promote the launch of the latest AI smartphone series, the Samsung Galaxy S26, equipped with Galaxy AI. Two new TV commercials, titled “In the Crowd” and “In the Taxi,” began airing in Japan on February 26.
The new commercials center on surreal yet dramatic experiences that suddenly occur in everyday moments.
In “In the Crowd,” set at an outdoor music festival, Hokuto is enthusiastically filming the stage with his smartphone amid a packed crowd. Suddenly, a woman approaches and places wireless earbuds in his ears.
The surreal song “♪ Galaxy is a great deal at SoftBank” begins to play, leaving him frozen in shock. He then snaps back to reality and looks around at the crowd, only to find the woman has disappeared.
In “In the Taxi,” Hokuto is inside a taxi driving through the city at night, where he is finishing a work phone call. After he hangs up, a junior colleague sitting next to him seriously calls out, “Senpai!”
When Hokuto asks what’s wrong, the junior replies, “Please listen to this!” and puts wireless earbuds in his ears.
The same surreal song begins to play, and the scene ends with Hokuto gazing solemnly at his junior colleague.
Additionally, on SoftBank’s official YouTube channel, two web-exclusive commercials are now available:
- “Horizontal Lock”, featuring Hokuto running through a plaza and performing bold acrobatics.
- “Nightography”, showcasing Hokuto striking a cool pose while delivering surreal commentary.
INTERVIEW WITH HOKUTO
How did you feel about filming your first SoftBank commercial?
Hokuto Matsumura: “Watching the staff work together to make sure the product looked its best really made me feel like I was on a truly professional set.”
What was your impression after using the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
Hokuto Matsumura: “The video recording is incredible. The Nightography Video feature, which captures clear footage even in dark places, was surprisingly amazing.”
Recently, what have you found to be a ‘good deal’?
Hokuto Matsumura: “When I travel during short breaks, the experiences later become stories I can share in interviews or on the radio. It feels like killing two birds with one stone. That’s a good deal to me.”
Any graduation memories?
He shared that when he graduated from junior high and moved from Shizuoka to Tokyo, his friends organized a dodgeball event for memories, but he sprained his ankle just four seconds into the game and attended his graduation ceremony on crutches.
What is your goal for this year?
Hokuto Matsumura: “To set rewards in advance (like trips or things I want) and give them to myself as motivation. I want to maintain a healthy cycle of effort and reward.”