Yahoo! BB, the No.1 ADSL Provider, appoints Ms. Ryoko Hirosue as an Image Personality of "Yahoo! BB" ~Ms. Hirosue Will Appear in TV Commercials Aired from August 15, 2003~
July 25, 2003Two SOFTBANK Group companies [Group representative: Masayoshi Son; SOFTBANK BB Corp. and Yahoo Japan Corporation (see company profiles below)] are appointing actress Ms. Ryoko Hirosue who is active in the front lines of TV and screen as an image personality of "Yahoo! BB",comprehensive broadband service. Ms. Hirosue will appear in Yahoo! BB television commercial film due to be aired from August 15, 2003.
"Yahoo! BB" has grown to become the No. 1 broadband service in Japan; over 28.2 million users are enjoying "Yahoo! BB" service. (As of June 2003) From the introduction of its service, "Yahoo! BB" has been offering a high-speed Internet service at low rates considered unthinkable according to the tradition of Internet services. Yahoo! BB offers not only low rates but also continue to propose new broadband initiatives through providing a range of applications and contents. These include the IP telephone service "BB Phone", the "BB Cable TV" broadband broadcasting service, and most recently the largest online game portal site in Japan "BB Games".
Ms. Ryoko Hirosue is a bright, attractive woman popular with a broad range of age groups and always ready to test herself with new challenges in dramas and television commercials. In engaging Ms. Hirosue as our image personality, we found a best match between her image and the friendly and freshness image of the "Yahoo! BB" brand.
Ms. Hirosue will appear in "Yahoo! BB" TV commercials aired from August 15, 2003. Through the attractive image of Ms. Hirosue, SOFTBANK BB hopes to enhance communication with public telling about the further enjoyment and ease of use of "Yahoo! BB" broadband service. The SOFTBANK Group wishes to make a social contribution by providing innovative broadband telecommunications infrastructure and services that enrich the means of human communication.
Profile of Ms. Ryoko Hirosue
| Real name | Ryoko Hirosue |
|---|---|
| Birth date | July 18, 1980 |
| Home Town | Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Blood type | O |
| Debut | "Clearasil" TV commercial appearance after winning the grand prize in the First "Clearasil" Image Girl contest. |
Company Profile
SOFTBANK BB Corp.
| Trade name | SOFTBANK BB Corp. |
|---|---|
| Head office | 24-1 Nihonbashi Hakozaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| Representative | President and CEO: Masayoshi Son |
| Date of Establishment | May 16, 2000 |
| Date of merger | January 7, 2003 |
| Type of Business | The Company engages in the provision of broadband infrastructure and services centering on Yahoo! BB as well as in technical development, marketing, sales and support. The Company offers IT-related distribution and services, supervises, and administers affiliated broadband and e-commerce companies. |
| Paid-in capital | 63 billion Yen |
Yahoo! JAPAN
| Trade name | Yahoo Japan Corporation (listed on JASDAQ; ticker symbol: 4689) |
|---|---|
| Head office | Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Representative | President and CEO: Masahiro Inoue |
| Date of Establishment | January 31, 1996 |
| Type of Business | The Company manages the comprehensive information website Yahoo! JAPAN, which attracts approximately 29.57 million unique users each month* and 439 million page views per day. The website offers 63 different services, including Internet search, content, community, commerce, and mobile services. The global Yahoo! Internet network stretches across 25 countries, including the United States and Canada, and countries in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. |
- *Based on a rating of 90.4% (NAR: the ratio of users who visit the site more than once in four weeks), according to a viewer rating research report produced by the Japan Research Center (JAR Report vol. 53; conducted between January 27, 2003 and February 23, 2003), we calculated that approximately 32.71 million Internet users have viewed the website.
- The information is true and accurate at the time of publication.
Price, specification, contact and other information of products and service may be subjected to change. The information contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.