Kodansha Partners With Dentsu to Expand Attack on Titan, Ghost in the Shell and Blue Lock Brand Collaborations Across the Americas

Dentsu has entered a new partnership with Japanese publishing giant Kodansha that will give brands across the Americas access to some of the publisher’s biggest anime and manga properties. The agreement includes globally recognized franchises such as Attack on Titan, Ghost in the Shell and Blue Lock, creating new opportunities for advertising campaigns and fan-focused experiences.

Under the arrangement, Dentsu will act as the primary contact for marketers seeking to use Kodansha-owned intellectual property in promotional campaigns throughout the Americas. The partnership comes as anime and manga continue expanding beyond their traditional fan communities and becoming increasingly attractive to mainstream brands.

Dentsu Will Handle Kodansha IP Activations

The partnership will allow participating brands to incorporate Kodansha properties into campaigns, sponsorships, live events and experiential marketing. Dentsu says the arrangement is designed to provide companies with a streamlined way to access a broad range of Kodansha-owned IP through a single point of contact.

The agency is also integrating its proprietary Japanese intellectual property research into its Dentsu.Connect data and identity platform. Kodansha’s catalog is among the first major beneficiaries of that integration, giving marketers additional data-driven tools when developing campaigns around anime and manga audiences.

Caroline Hughes, Dentsu’s Global Integrated Client Partner, described the significance of the partnership, saying,

“Anime has evolved from a niche to a mainstream cultural phenomenon.”

She added that the deal will give clients access to culturally established IP while enabling brand-focused activations designed around fans.

Kodansha is similarly positioning the agreement as a way to create new commercial opportunities around its characters and stories. Tomoki Moriguchi, Director of the publisher’s Rights Merchandising Department, said the company is excited to work with Dentsu to bring its IP to brands across the Americas.

Anime IP Continues Expanding in North America

The partnership arrives as Kodansha continues strengthening its presence among North American anime and manga audiences. The publisher has already used properties such as Blue Lock for major promotional collaborations, including a 2026 partnership with Concacaf.

Kodansha also brought its Kodansha House fan experience to Los Angeles alongside Anime Expo in 2026, highlighting franchises including Attack on Titan, Ghost in the Shell and Blue Lock.

With Dentsu now serving as a dedicated route for commercial partnerships, these franchises could appear in more brand campaigns and live experiences across the Americas.