Asahi Super Dry takes people on a nighttime quest with an unexpected ending in the launch film of its new brand platform.
“Seek what is unique” was created by Havas London in collaboration with Havas Creative Network agencies. It is Havas’ debut work for the brand following its appointment as global creative agency in December 2024.
The 90-second film, directed by the duo Alaska through Iconoclast, opens with a close-up shot of the bubbling beer, then zooms out to reveal the location: a small Japanese supermarket.
Two people take a bottle of Asahi Super Dry out of the fridge and take it to the till, but when the cashier tries to scan it, one of the protagonists tells him in Japanese: “We seek what is unique.”
The cashier then presses a secret button, revealing a key with a pufferfish illustration and a hidden door to a path through Tokyo. He says “You have one hour”, and the two protagonists start their quest through the neon streets and narrow alleys of the Japanese capital.
On their journey the couple notice signs, such as a motorcyclist wearing a helmet full of spikes, a woman wearing a spikey silver outfit, or neon signs of a pufferfish. These lead them to a door, which they open using the key, finding themselves in a restaurant.
Not what they expected, they look around, and then discover a secret bar. In an unexpected turn the music is provided by a singing pufferfish, placed in an aquarium in the middle of the room.
The film ends with them enjoying a glass of the beer and watching the unusual performer. The voiceover says: “Asahi Super Dry. Seek what is unique."
Talking about the brief given to Havas, Małgorzata Lubelska, global and category brand director at Asahi Europe and International, told Campaign the brand’s research showed that "experience is the currency of the modern premium”.
She said the campaign aims to position the beer as a brand that can invite consumers globally “into a more interesting world” and connects it to the “cultural uniqueness of the country [Japan]”.
The spot was filmed in Tokyo, with the characters speaking Japanese, which according to Mark Whelan, chairman and UK group chief creative officer at Havas UK, not only added to the authenticity but also played into the “intrigue” of the story.
Whelan said: “The premise is really simple. When you seek something that’s unique, there is a reward. And that’s really what the story of the launch film is.”
He added: “The unexpected ending is an important part and is emblematic of ‘there’s a joy in the unpredictability of something’. It’s a mission, a quest, and they discover something unique in the end, both in a fabulous cold pint of Asahi and in the surprising entertainment at the venue.”
It launches today (13 October) in the UK and Australia, and will be followed by a global rollout in 2026. It will appear across TV, cinema, out-of-home, social and digital, and on- and off-trade activations.
Alongside the brand platform, Havas also developed a design system, which Whelan described as an "evolution" of Asahi's brand architecture, "bringing through the distinctive silver they are known for". It includes a new colour palette, graphic system, tone of voice and product photography.
Lubelska added: I'm really convinced this is the beginning of the new chapter that's defining the future of Asahi Super Dry as a global brand for the years to come.
“It’s much more than just being a postcard from Japan. This invitation to seek unique experiences is an important nuance. Before, we had nice films also filmed in Japan showing the culture, but without expressing the brand purpose and the brand role.”
She said the "Seek what’s unique" platform “articulated the purpose of the brand and its role in consumers’ life”.
The brand platform will roll out across all of the brand’s global assets, including partnerships and collaborations, experiences, out-of-home and social.
