Shohei Ohtani is everywhere.
Living in Tokyo, it’s almost impossible to go outside and get through the day without seeing him on an ad somewhere — whether it’s on a billboard, on an LED screen, on a vending machine, inside a train or a taxi, or at a supermarket.
The razzmatazz surrounding Ohtani’s influence in the advertising world is only growing.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star is currently partnered with more than 20 brands, including many familiar names such as security service provider Secom, beauty company Kose, watchmaker Seiko, beverage maker Ito En, MUFG Bank and Japan Airlines.
According to a recent report from U.S. sports business website Sportico, Ohtani is set to make over $100 million in 2025 thanks to his impressive endorsement portfolio, joining Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Stephen Curry as the only athletes ever to surpass $100 million annually from sponsorships.
Ohtani is at the peak of his stardom, and brands are rushing to cash in with huge sponsorship deals. Are they getting their money’s worth? Apparently, yes.
“There’s more buzz surrounding our products and campaigns than we had anticipated,” Kose public relations officer Yuki Nagamine said, revealing that an Ohtani-themed pop-up-store, which opened in Tokyo’s Omotesando between March 15 and April 13, was a real revenue driver.
Kose signed Ohtani to a global ambassador deal in December 2022 and named him as the face of its ultra-luxury line, Cosme Decorte, in March 2023.
The Japanese cosmetics giant got a lucky surprise when, on April 3, Ohtani’s teammates celebrated his walk-off homer by poking a little bit of fun at his Decorte commercial — parodying a part of the ad where Ohtani passes a bottle of the product in front of his face. It’s no coincidence that sales of Decorte’s Liposome Advanced Repair Serum skyrocketed three days later, the day the internet uncovered the origins of the Dodgers’ new hit celebration.
“We’re honored to know that the commercial he did for us inspired the Dodgers’ celebration and glad that we can play a small part in lifting the team’s spirit,” Nagamine said.
That wasn’t enough. Online sports apparel retailer RotoWear gave it a name — the skincare swipe — and turned the celebration into a T-shirt.
After FamilyMart appointed Ohtani as its omusubi (rice ball) ambassador in February, the convenience store chain launched an Ohtani-led “two-way rice ball” campaign — a play on him being a two-way player — and sold 3 million of these two-ingredient rice balls in the first week.
“Average rice ball sales per store increased by 120% compared to the same period last year. It’s a home run!” the company said in a news release.
Ohtani is a powerful influencer. Whether it's a ¥20 million ($140,500) Porsche, a ¥12,000 ($84.28) skin serum or a ¥200 ($1.40) rice ball, he seems to make everything more appealing. More men are buying beauty products simply because of him.
The baby-faced 30-year-old — who was praised for his “movie star” looks by U.S. President Donald Trump during the Dodgers’ recent visit to the White House — turns everything he touches into gold, even things he’s not out to promote.
Last summer, when Ohtani’s pup Dekopin “threw out” the ceremonial first pitch before a home game, eagle-eyed fans noticed a mini treat pouch the player had in his hand. It became an instant hit, with fans quickly identifying the product and buzzing on social media about the incredibly normal and affordable item the $700 million man uses.
Around the same time, Japanese rice snack maker Kameda Seika — which is not one of Ohtani’s sponsors — thanked the superstar for being a customer on its official X account by reposting a photo of him carrying a paper bag bearing its company logo. Online sales tripled immediately after the post, spokesperson Yumiko Obata said.
“Being a world-famous athlete, everything Ohtani says and does attracts attention. The photo of him carrying a Kakitane Kitchen paper bag that went viral on social media helped bring many customers to our shops and boosted brand awareness,” Obata said.
Whatever he wears off the field often flies off the shelves afterward: a Porsche polo shirt, a Czech Republic baseball cap, New Balance sneakers, you name it. At this point, there is probably nothing Ohtani can’t sell.
Itaru Kobayashi, a former professional baseball player who is now professor of sports management at Tokyo’s J. F. Oberlin University, said Ohtani’s face on ads actually sways our buying decisions.
“Ohtani is the ideal person to create the bandwagon effect,” Kobayashi said. “He’s a national hero and consumers trust a product that is endorsed by a celebrity they admire. Japanese people see Ohtani as an aspirational figure. They identify with him, and they believe that purchasing the products he endorses brings them closer to emulating his success.”
U.S. sports stars have compared Ohtani’s fame in Japan to that of Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, the Beatles and Michael Jackson. Kobayashi said the only Japanese athletes who come close would be Shigeo Nagashima, arguably the most popular player in the history of Japanese baseball, and Naomi Osaka, a tennis icon with four Grand Slam titles.
Kobayashi thinks Ohtani is every marketer’s dream, having achieved many firsts in MLB and found success in the U.S.
“When Japanese people talk about ‘global success,’ they often mean succeeding in America. So especially for Japanese companies that want to go global and expand, Ohtani is a perfect endorser because he embodies the same principles that these brands stand for,” Kobayashi said.
Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, told Sportico he is very selective about the brands they work with, only agreeing to endorse products the player actually uses. That strategy seems to be paying off.
“Brands Ohtani represents are already reaping huge rewards, with increases in sales, brand awareness and reach,” Kobayashi said. “After signing on Ohtani, Ito En has seen a 25.5% growth in ‘Oi Ocha’ bottled green tea sales in the Tohoku region, Kose reported a 7.5-time increase in the number of men shopping for Decorte products, and HR service provider Dip has been performing well SEO-wise.
“These examples clearly indicate the economic impact of having Ohtani as an endorser.”
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