Asatsu-DK

ADK Holdings Inc.[1] d/b/a ADK, formerly known as Asatsu-DK, is a Japanese advertising agency. Headquartered in the Toranomon Hills building complex in Minato, Tokyo since June 2014 (previously in Tsukiji, Chūō, Tokyo), the firm is Japan's third largest advertising agency after Dentsu and Hakuhodo.[2] The agency has 80 offices in over 20 countries. One, Asatsu-DK Europe, was established in 1993 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Bain Capital has owned the company since 2018.

For the defunct game company, see ADK (company).
ADK Holdings Inc.
ADK
Native name
株式会社ADKホールディングス
Kabushiki gaisha EI DĪ KEI Hōrudingusu
TypePrivate KK
IndustryAdvertising agency
PredecessorAsatsu
Dai-ichi Kikaku Co., Ltd
FoundedMarch 19, 1956 (1956-03-19)
FounderMasao Inagaki
HeadquartersToranomon Hills, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Key people
Shinichi Ueno (President and CEO)
OwnerBain Capital Private Equity (87% as BCPE Madison Cayman, L.P.)
Number of employees
1,925 (Dec 2011)
WebsiteOfficial website
Asatsu-DK's previous logo (2002–2014)

History

Asatsu Inc. was established in 1956[3] by Masao Inagaki. In August 1998, it entered a business tie-up with the WPP Group. It soon merged with fellow advertising agency Dai-ichi Kikaku Co., Ltd. (established in 1951) to form Asatsu-DK (the DK stands for Dai-ichi Kikaku) on January 1, 1999. Masao Inagaki died on April 16, 2015.[4] In October 2017, it was reported that U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital was looking to buy Asatsu-DK for ¥152 billion ($1.35 billion).[5]

On January 1, 2019, it was reported that Asatsu-DK fully acquired d-rights. It had previously shared that company with Mitsubishi Corporation.[6][7]

Controversy

In October 2022 ADK President Shinichi Ueno was arrested as part of a Prosecutors investigation into bribery. Prosecutors alleged that ADK sent ¥47 million to a former executive of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee through two different routes in exchange for preferential treatment of sponsorship contracts for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.[8][9]

Subsidiaries and interests

It owns a variety of interests, including production companies NAS and d-rights; animation studio Eiken; animation studio Gonzo; Nihon Bungeisha Publishing; film and print processor Taiyo Seihan; production studio Sun Artist Studio, Supervision Inc.; television commercial production house Prime Pictures; and creative services company Tokyo Ad Party.[10]

Asatsu-DK is also involved in producing and providing its services to numerous anime series, through itself as well as its subsidiaries, including recent installments of Sunrise's Gundam series, such as the latest series Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Turn A Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, as well as several other anime titles.

References
  1. 株式会社ADKホールディングス, Kabushiki-gaisha Ei Dī Kei Hōrudingusu
  2. "Asatsu-DK Inc. Company Profile - Yahoo! Finance". Yahoo! Finance. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  3. "Company Overview of Asatsu-DK Inc". Bloomberg. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  4. "The announcement of the loss of the founder" (PDF). adk.jp. April 18, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  5. Fujito, Junko (October 2, 2017). "Bain aims to buy Japan advertising agency Asatsu-DK for $1.4 billion". Reuters. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  6. "Sunrights and d-rights Team up with Hasbro to Relaunch the Legendary Beyblade Franchise". hasbro.gcs-web.com. February 15, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  7. Ressler, Karen (January 1, 2019). "ADK Restructures, Acquires All of Anime Company d-rights". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  8. "Ex-Tokyo Olympic exec faces 4th charge in bribery scandal". Kyodo News. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  9. "東京五輪汚職、元理事を4回目の逮捕　収賄容疑、計5ルートに" (in Japanese). Mainichi. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  10. "Asatsu-DK - Advertising Age - DataCenter: Agency 2007". Advertising Age. 2007-04-22. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
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