Tag Archives: Tie-ins

News

The B’z and 7-Eleven promotion reported previously will kick off on July 1 according to a new splash page on the 7-Eleven Japan website. Those interested may gain a chance to win a special B’z-branded towel for every 700 yen spent. The item will be limited to a sparse 2,000 units and will be created by upscale manufacturer Imabari Towels. Imabari have long been celebrated for their strict adherence to quality and their output is already pricey, ensuring the limited B’z-branded ones will be especially expensive on the secondary market.

UPDATE: The promotion extends further, with 7-Eleven being the exclusive retailer of the “Trailer Edition” of B’z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX which was announced later the same day.

News

The latest countdown on the official B’z website will end later today and may be related to the oft-rumored 7-Eleven tie-in previously reported here. Similarly unverified rumors suggest a massive complete singles boxset is on the horizon and may be the costliest item B’z has ever released.

Next, on July 5, recent number-one single “Seimei/Still Alive” will be released on various digital platforms including the Japanese iTunes store, RecoChoku, mora, and music.jp. The single will see its live debut next month when the band hits the road on July 13 in Kumamoto for B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town-.

The support members for the band’s 2017-2018 tours have also been announced, with the familiar line-up assembled in 2011 all returning:

Drums: Shane Gaalaas

Bass: Barry Sparks

Backing Guitar: Ohga Yoshinobu

Keyboards: Takanobu Masuda

News

Last week, leaks originating on various Japanese message boards indicated B’z may soon be involved in a promotion with convenience store chain 7-Eleven in Japan. Those that have visited Japan have seen how ubiquitous the brand is in the country—in fact, there are more 7-Eleven stores in Japan than anywhere else, responsible for housing over 30% of their locations. Exact details of the promotion are yet to be confirmed, with one unverified post suggesting it could amount to a special live concert for select winners.

B’z 7-Eleven promotion redemption form

Today, apparent confirmation of some cross promotion came with the uncovering of a form on the 7-Eleven Japan website. For every 700 yen spent, there is a chance to receive a lottery ticket for at least a B’z-themed towel and possibly other unannounced prizes. There should be more news announced later this week.

News

The fifty-third B’z single “Seimei/Still Alive” is now officially on sale! It has debuted at the top of the Weekly Oricon Singles chart with pre-orders sales in excess of 61,000 physical copies already moved. If you still don’t have a copy on the way, you can obtain one via CDJapan, YesAsia, or Amazon Japan.

As is always the case, the band have chimed in with their release message to mark the occasion which we have translated for you below:

In addition, the UCC Black x B’z commercial featuring “Seimei” is now on air:

What’s more, a making-of video for the special B’z-branded cans of UCC Black that will be available to winners of the 10,000-draw lottery was also made available on YouTube. The tongue-in-cheek video features the beans used to create the coffees being exposed to “Seimei” before being packaged and serves as a solid preview of the song as well:

News

It has just been announced that upcoming single “Seimei/Still Alive” will be receiving another tie-in when “Still Alive” begins serving as the opening theme song to TBS’s entertainment news program Event GO! for the month of June. This is the second tie-in on the network for the song. From January to March of this year, it was utilized as the theme to the season’s 20th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix winner for Best Drama A LIFE from January to March.

UPDATE (6/1/2017): It has also been revealed that “Still Alive” will be heard as the ending theme to variety show Arita Generation as well as during anime-ranking program Rank Oukoku for both June and July.

News

The two year wait for the return of B’z will soon be over: Today, with the third countdown ending on the official website, the band have announced the first of their new releases and it’s a big one! The single will be a double A-side (their third and first since 2009’s mega hit “Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE“) coupling an all-new song entitled “Seimei” with the previously sampled “Still Alive” from the hit TBS Drama A LIFE that aired from January to March. “Seimei” (声明, Declaration) will serve as a tie-in to a promotional campaign for UCC Black’s line of canned coffees beginning with a commercial set to air starting June 12th: just two days prior to the single’s release on the 14th.

B’z Coaster Set included in the “B’z x UCC Black” special edition

What’s more, the single contains four-tracks, making it the band’s biggest standard single to date! The third beat is last year’s digital single “Sekai wa Anata no Iro ni Naru” (世界はあなたの色になる) that served as the theme song to Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare for its theatrical run and later appeared as the opening theme to the corresponding anime series. The release is rounded out by the physical debut of “Fukiarenasai” (フキアレナサイ) which was previously made available for digital purchase last November to correspond with it serving as the theme song to the film Shippu Rondo.

The single will be available in three editions: CD, CD+DVD with all-new music video for “Still Alive“, and a “B’z x UCC Black” CD package including a decorative coaster set and a lottery card that offers the chance to be one of 10,000 to win a set of B’z-themed cans of UCC Black. More can be seen on the special campaign site simultaneously opened to commemorate the announcement.

Preview of the “Still Alive” music video included in the CD+DVD edition

You can expect all four songs to be performed during B’z SHOWCASE 2017 -B’z In Your Town- when it kicks off in Kumamoto on July 13th. A fourth countdown is currently ticking on the official website with no determinate end date as of yet, so stay tuned for the next big update and our first glimpse of “Seimei“!

B’z New Single
「Seimei/Still Alive」

Tracklisting
1. Seimei
2. Still Alive
3. Sekai wa Anata no Iro ni Naru
4. Fukiarenasai

Bonus DVD: 「Still Alive」 Music Video

Price: 1,620 Yen (CD Only), 1,998 Yen (CD+DVD), 2,160 Yen (“B’z x UCC Black” Edition, CD+Goods)

Pre-order CD-Only Edition:

CDJapan / Amazon.jp / YesAsia

Pre-order CD+DVD Edition:

CDJapan / Amazon.jp / YesAsia

Pre-order “B’z x UCC” CD Package Edition:

CDJapan / Amazon.jp / YesAsia