Asahi Super Dry, Japan’s best-selling beer, is raising a glass to a new era with the launch of its first global brand platform, which invites drinkers everywhere to Seek What Is Unique.
The new platform, created by Havas London in collaboration with Havas Creative Network agencies across Asia, Australia, and North America, marks a major moment for the brand as it builds its global presence beyond its domestic market. The campaign champions Asahi Super Dry’s distinctive brewing process and its signature crisp, refreshing Karakuchi taste, while speaking directly to its “Experience Seeker” audience, meaning drinkers who crave something more interesting and original from the brands they choose.
At the centre of the launch is a cinematic 90-second film shot in Tokyo, directed by award-winning duo Alaska through production company Iconoclast. It follows two friends on a nighttime quest through the city’s neon-lit streets, labyrinthine alleys and skyline rooftops.
Along the way, it captures Tokyo’s unique blend of modernity and tradition – a duality that lies at the heart of Asahi’s identity – before culminating in a discovery that’s as unexpected as it is memorable: a singing puffer fish performing in a bar.
It’s a surreal but fitting metaphor for the spirit of the campaign. “Asahi Super Dry is a genuinely unique beer, in the way it is made and its taste experience,” says Mark Whelan, chairman & UK group chief creative officer at Havas UK.
“We are honouring that with a cinematic adventure set in the unique and iconic city of Tokyo – blending modern aesthetic with traditional roots – just like the brand itself.”
The “Seek What Is Unique” platform is brought to life through a comprehensive 360° campaign spanning social and digital media, TV, cinema, out-of-home, retail activation and global partnerships. It launches this week in Australia and the UK, with further global rollouts planned throughout 2026, including an APAC-specific version of the brand film with an alternative ending.
Alongside the platform, Asahi Super Dry is also unveiling a new global design system, which is a vital part of its push for greater consistency and recognition across international markets. The refreshed visual identity plays with the brand’s inherent contrasts, like precision craft with bold modernity and heritage with innovation.
The new brand world also introduces a refined colour palette, flexible graphic system, updated tone of voice and fresh product photography, designed to work seamlessly across every channel from packaging to digital.
Małgorzata Lubelska, global and category brand director at Asahi Europe and International, sees the launch as a strategic step towards cementing Asahi Super Dry as a global icon. She says: “Our latest brand platform marks a confident and bold step forward in our global brand journey to drive growth.
“We are celebrating the unique taste of the No. 1 Japanese beer as well as the unique culture of modern Japan, tapping into relevant consumer trends, through originality, modernity, and the spirit of discovery – all in pursuit of our goal for Asahi Super Dry to become a modern Japanese icon.”
The campaign is also a milestone for Havas, representing its first work for the brand since being appointed global creative agency for Asahi Super Dry outside Japan in December 2024, following a competitive pitch. The brief was to build on the brand’s Japanese heritage while helping it stand out in an increasingly crowded global premium beer market, and the result is a brand platform that feels unmistakably Asahi.
It fuses meticulous craft with bold creativity and a sense of discovery. It’s an exciting example of what happens when a brand with global ambitions and a creative partner that’s both eager and unafraid to help it realise them.
Yes, the idea of a singing puffer fish sounds unusual, but that’s the point here. Asahi Super Dry is betting on difference and not just in how its beer tastes, but in how it shows up in the world. Seek What Is Unique, after all, is as much an invitation as it is a statement.
