Workman’s Flagship Pivot and 7 Million AI Glasses Sold: Weekly Oshikatsu News (February 20, 2026)

Here is our roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fan-driven support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of February 13 to February 19, 2026.

This Week’s Highlights

The defining themes this week were the courage to narrow down to a single flagship identity, and the rapid spread of wearable devices you simply put on like regular glasses.

According to Workman, when employees inside the company were asked to name its signature product, they used to come back with roughly 100 different answers. The company announced a pivot to what it calls a kyokan shugi (“big-ship doctrine,” or flagship-first strategy) that narrows its focus to five priority products. Workman plans for these five products to account for 50% of its total sales by the fiscal year ending March 2028.

On the hardware side, EssilorLuxottica disclosed that its AI glasses sales exceeded 7 million units in 2025. Revenue rose 11.2% year-over-year on a constant-currency basis to 28,491 million euros, marking the company’s first-ever double-digit annual growth. Meanwhile, for the Even G2 smart glasses we have been tracking in previous issues, Acalie has become an authorized distributor in Japan. The company announced plans to launch full-scale sales across electronics retailers, e-commerce platforms, and corporate markets starting in spring 2026.

DIAGRAMKey Figures from This Week's Flagship and Wearable News

50%: Share of total sales Workman aims to generate from 5 priority products by FY ending March 2028
21M units: Planned production scale for Workman's Mediheal recovery wear (Jan–Aug 2026 projection)
7M+ units: EssilorLuxottica's 2025 AI glasses sales volume
+11.2%: EssilorLuxottica's 2025 constant-currency revenue growth (to €28,491M)

Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article

Workman’s Decision to Nurture Five Priority Products

Workman — Aiming for 50% of Sales from Five Items Under a “Flagship-First” Strategy

On February 9, Workman announced a new growth strategy centered on mass-market products. The company plans to generate 50% of its total sales from five priority products by the fiscal year ending March 2028. For the period from January to August 2026, it projected combined sales of 24.75 million units and approximately 52 billion yen in revenue across those five products. Production of its Mediheal recovery wear line was set to be ramped up to a scale of 21 million units, with projected sales of roughly 35 billion yen. Senior Managing Director Tetsuo Tsuchiya noted that previously, asking “What is Workman’s flagship product?” inside the company would yield around 100 different answers. Against that backdrop, he explained that the company “decided to pivot to a strategy that could be called a ‘flagship-first doctrine’ (kyokan shugi)” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

For more than 30 years since its founding, Workman had focused deeply on workwear and professional gear. It expanded into the outdoor sector around 2018, launched the “#Workman Joshi” (#Workman Girl) format around 2020, and further broadened its store formats with “Workman Colors” starting around February 2025.

Lab Note: Having internal answers split 100 different ways when asked to name a flagship product is a situation that applies to many companies. The more you expand your product lineup, the harder it becomes for a clear brand impression to take hold. Whether fans can immediately say “When it comes to that company, this is their signature item” is the fundamental condition for being actively recommended and supported as a favorite. The purpose of narrowing down your product focus is to establish a single, unmistakable hook for people to remember you by.

Japanet’s 40th Anniversary — Casting Masaki Aiba in a 90-Second Corporate Commercial

On February 12, Japanet Holdings cast Masaki Aiba as its new advertising spokesperson to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Japanet Group’s founding. Starting the same day, the company began airing two commercials nationwide: a 90-second corporate commercial titled “Making Every Day More Special” (Mainichi o, Motto Tokubetsu ni.) and a 30-second campaign commercial titled “Spring Trade-In Festival” (Haru no Shitadori Matsuri). Aiba provided the narration for the corporate commercial. For the music, the company chose Mariya Takeuchi’s song Mainichi ga Special (“Every Day Is Special”) because of its strong affinity with the anniversary tagline. In the “Spring Trade-In Festival” spot, Aiba co-starred alongside Michiko Kichise, with the two playing younger brother and older sister (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: A television shopping company aired a 90-second corporate commercial that does not sell a single product. A company anniversary is one of the rare occasions when a business can send out a message distinct from its everyday sales pitches. At the same time, Japanet also ran a 30-second promotional commercial on the very same day, aiming for both brand building and immediate sales. This is a practical two-pronged approach designed to ensure an anniversary initiative does not end as a mere commemorative ceremony.

SHISEIDO × BLACKPINK’s LISA — Redefining a Serum Launched in 2014

On February 9, Shiseido appointed LISA of BLACKPINK as the new global ambassador for its Ultimune serum series. Alongside the appointment, the company launched the “FAST. SLOW. FREE.” campaign. Launched in 2014, Ultimune had won 331 beauty awards worldwide according to the brand’s official X account (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

President and CEO Kentaro Fujiwara stated, “With roots in Asia and having achieved global success today, LISA embodies our brand and the Ultimune product.”

Lab Note: This is a classic example of using a new ambassador to create touchpoints with a different customer demographic for a product that has been on the market for 12 years. Because long-running products already enjoy high awareness, their public image tends to become fixed, making it harder to reach new customers. Changing the ambassador allows a brand to retell what the product means. For companies holding long-selling products, appointing an ambassador is even more effective for updating a product’s meaning than for simply acquiring initial awareness.

Eyeglass-Style Devices You Just Put On Are Spreading Faster Than Expected

EssilorLuxottica — 7 Million AI Glasses Sold Annually and First-Ever Double-Digit Constant-Currency Revenue Growth

EssilorLuxottica published its consolidated financial results for fiscal year 2025. Revenue reached 28,491 million euros (approximately 5,175.7 billion yen), representing an 11.2% increase year-over-year on a constant-currency basis. It was the first time in the company’s history that its annual revenue growth rate reached double digits. Sales of AI glasses in 2025 exceeded 7 million units. The company announced Oakley Meta in June 2025 and launched the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta in September. In the new models, video resolution increased up to 3K, and the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta offered up to eight hours of operation under normal use—nearly double the battery life of the first generation. In September 2025, the company also launched the Meta Ray-Ban Display in the United States, featuring a full-color display built into the right lens (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: Helped in part by the growth of its AI glasses business, EssilorLuxottica’s company-wide revenue recorded its first-ever double-digit annual growth on a constant-currency basis. A scale of 7 million units has already moved well beyond a niche market. For companies that operate live venues and events, establishing clear rules under the assumption that attendees will arrive wearing camera-equipped glasses will become a practical operational challenge in the near future.

Acalie × Even Realities — Even G2 Coming to Electronics Retailers in Spring 2026

On February 5, Acalie announced the domestic Japanese rollout of the Even G2 AI smart glasses. The company signed an authorized distributor agreement with Even Realities and announced plans to begin full-scale sales across consumer electronics retailers, e-commerce sites, and corporate markets starting in spring 2026. Utilizing its proprietary “Even HAD 2.0” spatial floating display technology, the Even G2 could display information in 3D. In addition to a “subtitle translation” feature that translates and displays conversations in real time, the glasses were equipped with voice assistant, navigation, and teleprompter functions. They featured IP65 dust and water resistance and could be operated without touching the frames by linking with the finger-worn “Even R1” smart ring. The first retail locations in Japan are JUN GINZA stores in Ginza and Nagoya (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: In our January 16 issue, the CEO noted that the brand’s top-selling store globally was in Japan. Roughly one month later, plans have been announced to expand sales channels from optical shops into major electronics retailers. A hardware design that intentionally omits a camera has been well received in Japan, and that reception is directly leading to the build-out of a broader supply network. Demonstrating consideration for privacy through product features has itself become a condition for market expansion.

DIAGRAMTwo Approaches to Smart Glasses Expanding in the Market

EssilorLuxottica (Ray-Ban Meta / Oakley Meta)

Exceeded 7 million AI glasses sold in 2025
Second-generation Ray-Ban Meta features up to 3K video resolution and up to 8 hours of battery life
Meta Ray-Ban Display launched in the US with a full-color display in the right lens
Raises near-future venue policy considerations around camera-equipped eyewear

Even Realities × Acalie (Even G2)

Expanding to Japanese electronics retailers, e-commerce, and corporate markets in spring 2026
Camera-free design paired with "Even HAD 2.0" 3D spatial floating display
Includes real-time subtitle translation, voice assistant, navigation, and teleprompter features
IP65 dust/water resistance and hands-free control via the finger-worn Even R1 smart ring

Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article

Hatsune Miku V6 — Supporting Japanese and English, with Chinese Planned via Update, Launching April 14

Crypton Future Media announced that it would release the singing voice synthesizer software “Hatsune Miku V6” on April 14, 2026. Compatible with VOCALOID6, it would support Japanese and English, with Chinese scheduled to be provided via a free update following the official release. Pricing was set at 24,200 yen for the Starter Pack and 10,780 yen for the standalone voicebank (both tax included). Both editions came bundled with the Cubase LE digital audio workstation (DAW) software. The release also featured a “TAKE function” capable of generating multiple vocal takes with different nuances from a single phrase (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: Supporting Japanese and English out of the box—with Chinese scheduled for a future free update—creates a multilingual creative environment that serves as a key pillar for expanding character IP overseas. When you prepare an environment where fans can create in their own language, more people outside Japan will join in producing fan works (niji sousaku). This is a strong example of how distributing creative tools can function as a direct means of community expansion.

A VTuber Event Reaches a Physical Venue After Six Years

Aogiri High School — First Standalone Offline Event Featuring All 13 Members on Stage

The VTuber group “Aogiri High School” (Aogiri Koukou), operated by viviON, announced that it will hold its first standalone offline event, “Aogiri High School Entrance Festival 2026!” (Aogiri Koukou Nyuugakusai 2026!), at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA on May 21, 2026. All 13 affiliated members are scheduled to appear on stage together, with advance lottery tickets priced at 13,000 yen (tax included), complete with a school-emblem-style pin badge. The group also announced a late-night after-party on the same day, titled “Seriously on the Edge NIGHT ~~Aogiri High School After-Party 2026!~~” (Maji de Girigiri NIGHT ~~Aogiri Koukou Kouyasai 2026!~~), to be held at Spotify O-EAST. Priced at 5,000 yen (tax included), plus a mandatory 700-yen drink charge, the after-party is scheduled to feature performances by angela, Sasuke Haraguchi, DJ WILDPARTY, and others. None of the Aogiri High School members will participate in the after-party, and attendees under 20 years old will not be permitted to enter. The group’s inaugural offline event had originally been planned for 2020 but was switched to an online format due to the pandemic, making the planned physical event six years in the making (PANORA (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: What makes this structure particularly interesting is how completely it separates the performers between the main show and the after-party. Management has cleanly divided the space for meeting one’s favorite VTubers (oshi) from the space for spending the night until morning enjoying music. By preparing two distinct experiences on the same day, the value of the trip doubles for fans who have traveled from afar. For companies booking event venues, how to fill out the different time slots across a single day is well worth considering.

Ahead of Cat Day, Convenience Stores, Restaurants, and Cultural Facilities Begin Their Rollouts

7-Eleven — Six Cat-Themed Products and an App-Exclusive Campaign

Starting February 16, 7-Eleven sequentially rolled out six cat-themed products leading up to “Cat Day” (Neko no Hi, celebrated in Japan on February 22 because 2-2-2 sounds like a cat’s meow, nyan-nyan-nyan). The lineup included the “Calico Cat Chewy Crepe” (Mikeneko Mochimochi Crepe), which used three types of cream to create a calico cat pattern; the “Meow Parfait” (Nyan Parfait), topped with sweet dumplings shaped like cat paw pads; and the cat-shaped dorayaki pancake “Nyama-dora Milk Caramel.” Alongside the food lineup, 7-Eleven ran an app-member-exclusive “Sanrio Characters Nyan-Nyan Campaign” for a limited seven-day window from February 16 to February 22, giving participants a chance to win original merchandise featuring five different characters (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: 7-Eleven combined three distinct elements: a lineup of six items, a seven-day campaign window, and app-member exclusivity. With this three-part package, the company is simultaneously targeting store visits and new app registrations. Anniversary retail campaigns tend to concentrate solely on the day itself, but setting up a one-week sales window leading up to the date encourages repeat trips and multi-item purchases.

Matsuya × Chiikawa, Lawson × Gintama, Museum Meiji-Mura × Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Matsuya Foods ran the second phase of its Chiikawa collaboration from February 17 to March 31, introducing “Matsuya Chiikawa’s Demon-Spicy Curry” (Matsuya Chiikawa no Onikara Curry). Ordering one collaboration menu item came with one random original figure out of six varieties, while ordering a kids’ meal came with one of six slide puzzles (Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, timed to the theatrical release of Gintama: The New Movie - Yoshiwara in Flames (Shin Gekijouban Gintama -Yoshiwara Daienjou-), Lawson distributed eight types of clear file folders starting February 17 to customers who purchased two eligible confectionery items. It also rolled out two Gintama-themed package designs of Lotte’s “Toppo” pretzel sticks priced at 977 yen (tax included) (Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)). In Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, the open-air architectural museum Museum Meiji-Mura announced a Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba collaboration titled “Meiji-Mura Special Mission Log” (Meiji-Mura Tokubetsu Ninmuroku) scheduled for March 7 to May 31. The event would feature 13 collaboration food and drink items and a mystery-solving game structured into three courses by difficulty level (Nijimen (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: Museum Meiji-Mura preserves more than 60 relocated historical buildings, and it uses the sheer expanse of its grounds as the walking route for its mystery-solving rally. Rather than constructing new sets for a title, Meiji-Mura lends its existing historical architecture as the stage. The deeper a facility’s history, the more room it has to partner with IP in this exact way.

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku × Godzilla, PSYCHO-PASS × Migita Honten

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku installed a new diorama themed around Godzilla: Final Wars in its eighth-floor lobby, on display from February 1 through June 30. Supervised by Toho, the rotating lobby diorama series has been running since 2023 and entered its eighth installment with this exhibition, as the hotel marked its 11th year in operation. In the lounge, the hotel offered menu items including Godzilla print art lattes at 1,870 yen each and a Japanese-style art parfait at 2,420 yen (tax included) (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, starting February 18, Grand Marche in Osaka City began selling “Golden Whisky,” a blended whisky produced by Migita Honten in Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture, as a collaboration product with PSYCHO-PASS PROVIDENCE (Gekijouban PSYCHO-PASS PROVIDENCE) (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: Hotel Gracery Shinjuku is famous for its roughly 12-meter Godzilla head outdoors, while inside the lobby it is now presenting its eighth diorama installment. By rotating the exhibition continuously over three years, the hotel creates a compelling reason for people who have visited once to come back again. Pairing a permanent landmark symbol with periodically refreshed exhibitions serves as a textbook model for destination facilities.

This Week’s Takeaways

This week, moves to narrow down and moves to expand stood out at the exact same time.

Workman declared that it would narrow its focus to five priority products, while EssilorLuxottica grew its AI glasses sales past 7 million units. Although the two directions look opposite on the surface, both companies share a crucial trait: each has clearly decided what it wants to be remembered for. Workman wants to be remembered as “the recovery wear company,” and EssilorLuxottica as “the company for AI you simply put on like glasses.” Both are concentrating their resources on that single point of identity.

On the other hand, if a company keeps adding products without ever settling on a signature flagship, fans lose sight of what they are supposed to champion and recommend. Workman’s announcement this week illustrated that reality candidly through the admission that internal staff had “100 different answers.”

What do fans call your company? Take a look at this week’s developments alongside our guide to oshikatsu marketing design principles.

Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the intersection between fan culture and business. You can browse past issues in the Oshikatsu × News category.