Japanese convenience-store chain FamilyMart has launched a new recruitment campaign featuring American pop star Lady Gaga in an effort to address the country's ongoing labor shortage. The 30-second commercial, which aired earlier this week, shows Lady Gaga performing various tasks such as shelving snacks, mopping floors, and running the register inside a stylized convenience store setting. Speaking in Japanese, she invites viewers to consider working at FamilyMart.

The initiative is part of a broader push by the company to attract more part-time workers amid shrinking workforce numbers and increasingly competitive labor conditions. Convenience stores in Japan, commonly known as konbini, heavily rely on part-time staff but face challenges due to the demanding nature of the work, low wages, and 24/7 operations, all of which reduce their appeal to potential employees.

FamilyMart is actively advertising 10,481 part-time positions across its 16,455 locations nationwide. The company has also introduced a more casual and modernized uniform design for the first time in ten years to create a more appealing work environment. The redesign was showcased at a catwalk event in August.

In addition to leveraging Lady Gaga’s global popularity—she is widely celebrated in Japan and has sold out all six dates of her recent tour there—the campaign also reflects a shift in Japan’s corporate marketing strategies. According to industry experts, recruitment has become a primary focus for many companies as they aim to boost brand recognition and present themselves as attractive employers in a tight labor market.

FamilyMart has further sought to broaden its appeal by relaxing previously strict workplace appearance rules. The company now permits employees to express their individuality more freely, including allowing different hair colors and personalized uniform styling. FamilyMart emphasizes these changes are meant to support a diverse workforce that includes people of varying ages and nationalities, fostering an inclusive and vibrant work environment.

While some analysts describe the use of a high-profile celebrity for a convenience store recruitment campaign as unprecedented in Japan, others view it as a sign of how urgently firms are responding to demographic and economic challenges. As Japan continues to navigate a shrinking labor pool, such efforts highlight the evolving nature of workplace culture and recruitment in the country’s retail sector.