Meguro Ren of the nine member group, Snow Man, has been appointed as brand ambassador for Mizuho Financial Group. He stars in the company’s new TV commercial, “Challenge with Blue: The Challenge in Canada” which begins airing today, October 1. Having served as Mizuho Bank’s image spokesperson since the start of the year, he will also now serve as the brand ambassador, championing the corporate brand identity of the group, alongside Mizuho Bank’s product and services.
The new commercial, with the brand message ‘Challenge with Blue’ as the theme, captures Meguro as he takes on Hollywood. Having chosen to take on the path of auditions himself, he seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start in a place where no one knows who he is. The commercial captures the real moment of his “Challenge with Blue” through documentary-style footage.
In scenes of him walking through the streets of a foreign city, he takes on a serious expression as he moves forward in a land where nobody knows him. While Meguro remains focused when the cameras are rolling, as soon as “cut” is called, he exchanges amiable chatter with the crew, offering a glimpse of both his genuine, relaxed self and his professional persona as an actor.
During the narration recording, he delivered each line such as ‘Nobody knows me here.’, ‘I was immature. I was *blue (inexperienced),’ with meticulous care. Witnessing Meguro’s earnest dedication to embracing challenges in an unfamiliar environment, the shoot beautifully captured the frustration that he faced along the way alongside with his unwavering determination to move forward.
Interview:
Q: Following the January 2026 Mizuho Bank commercial, you have now been appointed as the brand ambassador for Mizuho Financial Group and are featured in their new corporate brand commercial. How do you feel about it?
Meguro: Ever since I was a child, Mizuho was actually where I opened my very first bank account, so this brings back a lot of memories for me. Serving as their brand ambassador right now makes me think “To think such a future exists”. Even while filming the commercial, I found myself looking back on those memories, thinking about how incredibly happy and deeply grateful I am to be here. And the fact that everyone came all the way to Canada for this shoot has made it a truly memorable commercial for me.
Q: Mizuho Financial Group champions the brand message ‘Challenge with Blue’, actively supporting everyone’s “blue challenge”. For you, Meguro Ren-san, what is it that pushes you forward as you take on new challenges abroad, and what serves as your source of strength?
Meguro: When I was reading the narration for this commercial, I kept thinking to myself, ‘This is exactly how it is.’ Looking back, at every single stage of my past, there was always something I was actively challenging myself with. Taking the time to reflect on those experiences is actually what pushes me forward. Whenever a new challenge comes my way, I find myself thinking, ‘I was able to work so hard and get through that challenge back then, so I can definitely give it my all for the next one as well,’ I feel like taking the time to think about that is what keeps me going.
Q: Right now, Meguro Ren-san has chosen overseas as the stage for his next challenge, personally taking on auditions and making the decision to start from scratch in a place where nobody knows who you are. The release date of this commercial is October 1 2026, which also marks the day when many companies hold their job offer ceremonies, signaling a fresh start for many taking their first steps toward a new challenge. Is there a message you would like to share with everyone who is about to embark on their own new journey?
Meguro: When you take on a challenge, there’s always a period of time where you would have to put in hard work. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it feels like those efforts do not pay off right away. However, even if the effort you put in doesn’t bear fruit at that exact moment, whether it’ll take 3 years or 5 years down the road, and although I am not sure what form it will take, I truly believe a time will come when your hard work finally pays off. So, even though everyone might face very difficult times ahead, I hope we can keep giving it our best together with that mindset.
Q: Finally, could you leave a message to everyone who will be watching the CM?
Meguro: While shooting the commercial and doing the narration recording, I found myself deeply resonating with the message that it conveys. When I thought about why I could relate to it, it made me realize how Mizuho has always been supporting so many people in their everyday lives, so I approached the shoot with all my heart, genuinely feeling the connection to the message it wanted to convey the entire time. I truly hope this video will be a source of encouragement, giving you a little push forward, while being something that is always there for you, so I hope you’ll check it out.
Translation Notes:
青さ (Aosa): is usually used to describe someone as naive or inexperienced.
青さで、挑む (Aosa de, Idomu): can also be loosely translated as “Challenge with your youthfulness/raw passion”. However, as this is also Mizuho’s campaign slogan, we decided to keep it as “Challenge with Blue”.