Creative Spotlight

From Tokyo with Taste

Havas London’s debut campaign 'Seek What Is Unique' for Asahi Super Dry takes Japan’s most famous beer on a global journey

By Stephen Lepitak

13 October 2025

The ambition of Asahi Super Dry is to scale the brand’s global recognition, while making it a modern Japanese icon in the process.

‘Seek What Is Unique’ is the newly introduced global brand platform for Asahi Super Dry, as it aims to inspire curiosity among consumers who are seeking new experiences and adventure in their lives.

This is Havas’ first work for Asahi since its appointment as global creative agency last December, taking on the brief of first developing a brand platform built around the uniqueness of the beer’s taste, brewing process, and history.

“Our new platform embraces the uniqueness of our product and Japan, allowing us to create a distinct space away from ‘sunshine beers’ and global storytelling, to tell new stories of discovery and highlight Japan in a way that many may not have seen before,” explains Małgorzata Lubelska, category and global brands CMO.

A New Era After 40 Years

Conceived as a brand that would challenge convention and reimagine the traditional beer category, it’s the first time Asahi Super Dry has advertised internationally under one platform. Created by Havas London in collaboration with Havas Creative Network agencies in Asia, Australia, and North America, the multi-disciplinary campaign runs across social and online, TV, cinema, out of home, global partnerships, and trade activation.

Leading the way is a 90-second film, directed by the Iconoclast team ALASKA, that revels in the neon aesthetic of Japan within a heightened version of Tokyo where a group of friends embark on a nighttime quest through the city’s iconic streets, alleyways, and mysterious bar backrooms.

“They want to reach people who might try something a little different on a night out, those people who might want to turn right instead of turning left one night and try a new bar or whatever. And when you seek something unique, then it's quite a good vibe. Good things can come of it,” explains Mark Whelan, chairman and UK group chief creative officer for Havas UK, outlining the dual meaning of the work.

Ultimately, the aim is to portray Asahi as anything but “a normal beer” within a stylised version of its home country. The film showcases the feeling of adventure with various easter eggs thrown in, but ultimately it is the reward of the destination - and a bottle of Asahi - that makes it worthwhile.

“They don't know what they're going to find. That's the important thing. That’s a representation of life, where the surprise is better when the more unexpected it is, the more interesting,” he adds, alluding to the final discovery of a singing puffer fish in a bar, as well as the beer’s taste.

This is the first time Havas has produced an ad featuring a mix of both CGI (the fish) and AI (the train) with location and physical sets blending them to make the final film. The final effects shot of Tokyo’s cityscape sits alongside a dominant product shot and the reveal of the 'Seek What Is Unique' phrase in three stages. It includes new visual identity featuring a new colour palette, graphic system, tone of voice, and product photography.

"Given our global footprint, we have worked closely with Havas to build a team that represents our strategic markets - allowing our platform to work harder by flexing to life stage and local nuances in the West and the East."

Małgorzata Lubelska, category and global brands CMO for Asahi

“As a client and agency team, we have been fully aligned throughout the process - being guided by the same vision from the very beginning - to make Asahi Super Dry a modern Japanese icon,” says Lubelska.

She believes the platform pitched by the agency is based on a product truth on the unique super dry taste, giving Asahi a clear purpose to become the world’s most interesting beer experience.

“Given our global footprint, we have worked closely with Havas to build a team that represents our strategic markets - allowing our platform to work harder by flexing to life stage and local nuances in the West and the East,” she adds.

Immersive Ambition

Asahi aims to lean into its Japanese heritage as the country’s cultural relevance grows, with a stream of new ideas and flavours planned under ‘Seek What is Unique’.

It will initially run in Australia and the UK, followed by other global markets in 2026, including APAC, where the brand film will launch with an alternative ending.

In the UK specifically, the campaign will drive trial and eventually consumer loyalty with the film delivering a thrilling experience to cinema-goers on the big screen, introducing the brand to people on nights out and tempting them to try something new.

“We recognise that each market is at a different life stage, and the different cultural contexts we operate in. This requires us to have an approach that allows for a degree of consistency to build brand recognition and emotional connection globally, whilst also allowing for flexible execution in-market to remain relevant,” explains Lubelska.

It has also been developed to deliver adventure and excitement. The story also deliberately opens itself up to physical and immersive brand experiences. “We have a multiverse of stuff all coming off this same platform,” reveals Whelan.

Asahi Super Dry isn’t just launching a campaign - it’s inviting the world into its own sense of culture, curiosity, and craft. It signals a new chapter for the brand, one where discovery is a promise.

CREDITS

Client team:

Malgorzata Lubelska, Category and Global Brands CMO, Asahi Super Dry

Andy Box, Global Head of Brand, Asahi Super Dry

Marianne Caicdeo, Global Senior Marketing Manager, Asahi Super Dry

Alice Garton, Global Senior Brand Manager, Asahi Super Dry

Alice Hodgson, Global Senior Brand Manager, Asahi Super Dry

Creative Agency: Havas London

Chairman & UK Group Chief Creative Officer: Mark Whelan

Creative Director: Sam Daly and Rob Greaves

Creative Director: Amy Fasey

Chief Client Officer, Global Brands: Tamara Greene

Managing Partner: Nick Gold

Senior Account Director: Sophia Jenkins

Account Director: Sara Haddock

Account Director: Katie Shrubb

Account Manager: Ben Graber

Head of Production: Louise Bonnar

Production Lead: Katie Wood

Assistant Agency Producer: Ella Myerscough-McClymont

Operations Director: John Thompson

Creative Producer: Lily Rocker

Global Chief Strategy, Data and Innovation Officer: Mark Sinnock

Strategy Partner: Clare Phayer

Senior Strategist: Francesca Johnston

Head of Content & Social Shelley Portet

Social Director: Rebecca Marchant

Shopper Business Director: Jonathan Hatton

Shopper ECD: Jonathan Moore

Chief Design Officer: Lorenzo Fruzza Exec Design Director: Josh Toogood Design Director: Nicholas Adamovich

Design Director: Yassa Kahn Senior Designer: Sarni Strachan Senior Brandex Designer: Sarah Butler Brandex Designer: Rahul Sonegra Brandex Designer: Walter Gregory Brandex Designer: Sam Adams

Junior Creatives: Oscar Frost and Muskaan Rasdan Packaging Design consultancy: Purple Design 3D Artist: Matisse Toni Agency Production: Prose on Pixels Media agency: Wavemaker

Director - ALASKA

Production Company - ICONOCLAST

Executive Producer - KAIYA TAFFEL

MD - JEAN MOUGIN

MD - GUY ROLFE

Producer - ELLIE FRY

DoP - MAURO CHIARELLO

Production Designer - TAYIO

Stylist - Takumi Iwata

Production Manager - RIA HANISH-OAKES

1st AD - CHRIS KELLY

Local Service Company - NAKAMA