House of Suntory Taps Keanu Reeves for New Campaign
Marking the 100th anniversary of its Japanese whiskeys, The House of Suntory released first looks at its new campaign with John Wick star Keanu Reeves and the Coppola family this week.
House of Suntory began with the establishment of its Yamazaki Distillery in 1923 —the first and oldest malt whisky distillery in Japan’s history. The Japanese whiskeys are among Beam Suntory’s portfolio of aged spirits including Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Basil Hayden and Knob Creek bourbons; and Scotch brands including Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore.
Twenty years after filming Lost in Translation (in which Bill Murray plays an actor who travels to Japan to appear in a “Suntory Time” commercial), Sofia Coppola returned to Japan to create the Suntory Anniversary Tribute featuring Reeves, who previously appeared in a Suntory Reserve ad campaign in 1992. Later this summer, The Matrix actor will star in another creative project in partnership with the House of Suntory, a series of documentary shorts from filmmaker Roman Coppola called The Nature and Spirit of Japan.
In honor of the centenary, Suntory is also introducing new limited-edition 18-year and 12-year releases. Fans are also invited to join a new House of Suntory membership program with first release access and invites to consumer experiences.
As part of its centennial celebration, Suntory has committed 10 billion JPY ($77 million USD) for the upgrade of its Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. Both facilities are currently undergoing renovation, with operations set to resume in the fall.
Luxury whiskey is one of the categories driving spirits sales, and Japanese whiskey exports are up 233% in sales value since 2013, according to a 2020 report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The growth is led almost entirely by Suntory Holdings and Asahi Group Holdings, which together control more than 90% of Japanese whisky production.
Bacardí Goes in on Sneakers, NFTs, and Snapchat
Bacardí Rum is kicking off a summer-long “Do What Moves You” campaign in June, starting with a pop-up at a Stadium Goods sneaker store featuring co-branded merchandise. Hidden behind the stockroom door, guests will also find a Caribbean-themed speakeasy featuring musical guests and rum tastings.
As a part of the event, attendees will receive the Dancing Shoes NFT, an exclusive digital wearable created with Jeff Staple, founder of the streetwear brand Staple, and web3 studio Kollectiff. Attendees who complete the NFT customizations at the event will have the opportunity to have their digital creations transformed into a unique physical pair of sneakers. Other digital offerings include a custom augmented reality Snapchat lens including a music track from the brand’s first original EP, available on Spotify, which will adapt based on users’ movements.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the pros at Stadium Goods and streetwear icon, Jeff Staple, allowing consumers to embrace their individuality through touchpoints that inspire consumers to Do What Moves You,” said Laila Mignoni, global head of brand marketing communications for Bacardí. “Every aspect of our partnership is designed to bring people together, embracing the connective tissue between our iconic rum and the sneaker community to inspire movement in both the physical and emotional sense.”
The rum brand plans to continue the party at various summer festivals, starting with the Governor’s Ball in New York City on June 9, and following with experiences at Lollapalooza (Chicago), Life is Beautiful (Las Vegas), Parookaville (Germany), and Lowlands Festival (Netherlands). Attendees at the festival experience will have access to premium cocktail offerings, exclusive merchandise drops, and more opportunities to customize their Dancing Shoes NFT. The campaign is set to conclude in October with a final pop-up ahead of Amsterdam’s biggest dance music festival, Amsterdam Dance Event, featuring limited-edition merchandise and a unique giveaway of collectable shoes. Similar activations will take place in Spain, New Zealand, Germany and Austria.
Kicks and streetwear collections seem to go hand-in-hand with spirit campaigns lately, this Spring Espolón and 21 Seeds Tequila also launched wearable collaborations.
Throwback: Smirnoff ICE Launches Tour with Shaggy and T-Pain
Twenty-three years after first arriving on the scene, Smirnoff ICE is trying to keep up with the ready-to-drink boom it proceeded by leaning into nostalgia. After launching a redesign last month and a new campaign featuring former Daily Show host Trevor Noah, the malt-based drink is bringing back the soundtrack from its heyday with a new concert tour.
“The FMB category right now is having a huge moment, flavor continues to be what the people want, and we as a brand right now feel just perfectly poised to win in this space,” brand director Lisa Lee told Brewbound. “We like to say we are one of the O.G.s. The flavored malt beverage category, we co-created it. So, this is our opportunity to really take that back.”
The Relaunch Tour with host Nicky Hilton and performances from artists Shaggy and T-Pain hit New York last week and will stop at seven other locations this summer. The brand is also teaming up with cult Los Angeles-based streetwear brand Market and throwing it back with a limited release Y2K-inspired collection.
Whipshots Launches Summer Campaign with Cardi B
Kicking off the brand’s new lime flavor, Whipshots introduced their “Whip It, Beaches” campaign featuring partner, Cardi B. The campaign assets include a 30 second video and series of imagery demonstrating Whipshots centered around the artist on a beach in a whipped cream inspired bathing suit and signature sunglasses.
The new content was unveiled at a private event hosted by Cardi B in Santa Monica, California with the aim of showcasing the vodka-infused whip cream as a versatile offering in any season.
Whipshots was developed by Starco Brands, whose products span categories from the Art of Sport, the body care brand designed for athletes and co-founded by Kobe Bryant to Winona Popcorn Spray, the first butter popcorn spray powered by air.
Since its December 2021 launch the brand has sold over two million cans, and achieved its first million sales after ten months and sold another million cans four months later. The boozy dessert is now available in 26 markets across the U.S.
Notable premium spirit campaigns:
- Diageo’s Zacapa Rum, an ultra-premium Guatemalan rum, and French luxury house and crystal manufacturer Baccarat will partner on a luxury rum experience (and the first-ever cocktail activation) for the 76th Annual Tony Awards. The biggest awards in American theater will be presented at the United Palace in Washington Heights, paying homage to the “impact of the community” which is home to a large Latin American population, and inspired Broadway musical, The Heights.
- Tequila Don Julio has partnered with fine-art photographer Gray Malin, who traveled to the highlands in Jalisco, Mexico to capture aerial images over the brand’s agave fields. The images are available for purchase and will also be brought to life through an immersive pop-up event in the Hamptons in August.