Tag: Beam Suntory

South Korea – A year after the global rollout for Jim Beam’s ‘People Are Good For You’ campaign happened, the popular bourbon whiskey brand under Suntory Global Spirits has officially rolled out the campaign for Asia-Pacific spanning seven markets–South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

As part of this campaign rollout, Jim Beam has tapped the popular K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM as the face of the iconic alcoholic beverage in APAC. For this campaign, Beam Suntory has also worked with PageLab for its above-the-line assets for the campaign while BigBadWolf did the below-the-line campaign assets.

Speaking exclusively to MARKETECH APAC, Yoshihiro Morita, senior marketing director for APAC at Suntory Global Spirits noted that as the campaign has rolled out in South Korea and Taiwan, consumers can expect to see more in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia in the coming months with a digital campaign, in-store activation and pop-up event.

“The global ‘People Are Good For You’ campaign kicked off the brand’s strategy to reinvigorate and drive an emotional connection between Jim Beam and the next generation of consumers.  It’s about celebrating the power of human connection,” Morita said.

In the campaign, LE SSERAFIM members appear in multiple digital videos as part of the brand campaign in Asia, and see the K-pop showstoppers grooving, exploring new drink recipes, and bringing out their inner fashionistas together.

“Curated to reflect the latest social media trends in Asia, these videos encourage people to embrace who they are and explore new experiences with their friends and their community,” he added.

When asked why Jim Beam chose to work with LE SSERAFIM for this regional campaign, Morita points out the group name’s original anagram of the ‘I’m Fearless’ phrase, which perfectly encapsulates Jim Beam’s bold and carefree spirit.

“Each distinct and utterly unique, the members of LE SSERAFIM become greater than the sum of their parts as they try new things together for this brand campaign. This exactly represents Jim Beam’s belief that coming together is powerful and that people can energise each other,” he stated.

Morita added, “Jim Beam aims to nurture a spirit of solidarity by enabling people to “find their tribe” so that they can feel the power that comes from being together. Things that might make people feel unusual and awkward when done alone become empowering when done with the right people; new experiences that may seem strange or peculiar when people are alone can lead to meaningful bonds when the right people come together, bringing the tagline “With my tribe, it’s a whole new vibe” to life.”

The original global ‘People Are Good For You.’ campaign was launched in 2023, with the ad directed by Noam Murro with creative by Leo Burnett, while the new Jim Beam visual design was created in partnership with Turner Duckworth. Included in the campaign rollout was a refreshed visual identity that started with an exploration of Jim Beam through the generations. This then continued to the down-to-earth warmth and welcoming informality that the brand is known for.

Singapore – Global digital media agency M&C Saatchi Performance has won the digital mandate for beverage company Beam Suntory for its key markets in the SEA region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the Philippines, and Cambodia.

Headquartered in the United States, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Japan’s Suntory Holdings. It deems to be the third-largest producer of distilled beverages globally and is also producing alcoholic beverages.

As per the mandate, M&C Saatchi Performance will be responsible for the digital media planning, buying, and strategy of Beam Suntory brands in SEA such as Jim Beam, Auchentoshan, and Roku, as well as Strong Zero, among others.

Commenting on the partnership, Adeep Gupta, the managing director at Beam Suntory SEA, said, “We’re very happy to bring M&C Saatchi Performance on board as our partners on some of our most prestigious brands. Digitalization is a key theme to reach and engage consumers and we’re thrilled to partner with the team to set a new benchmark in SEA.”

Meanwhile, M&C Saatchi Performance APAC’s Managing Director Kabeer Chaudhary commented that it is an exciting opportunity for the agency to be chosen as Beam Suntory’s digital media agency, and they are looking forward to leveraging their deep market knowledge to drive transformative digital strategies in an industry that has traditionally been focused on offline media. 

“Over the next year, we’ll be working closely with the Beam Suntory team to consolidate their digital presence in Southeast Asia and hope this will be the beginning of a long-lasting relationship,” said Chaudhary.

Christian Gladwell, the CEO at M&C Saatchi Performance, also commented that they are delighted to welcome Beam Suntory to the M&C Saatchi Performance family of clients and look forward to driving their business growth across SEA. 

“I am confident that leveraging the expertise of our team in the region will undoubtedly fasten Beam Suntory’s connection to today’s digital audiences,” said Gladwell.