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From the moment we were introduced to Suntory’s new RTD, Maru-Hi, we knew it was different. Though it certainly tastes good any time of day, it’s best served at night; its neon-light-covered packaging evokes the mysterious calling of Tokyo’s Izakaya bar culture.
With Suntory, a true Japanese icon, behind this product, we knew anything we did needed to be truly authentic and rooted in Japanese culture. Inspired by the “maru” mark (meaning circle), our creative platform, “Seek Your Circle,” celebrates the best nights—ones shared with close friends.
To stand out, we grounded everything in a nighttime setting and embraced anime’s rich visual style to create a brand look unlike any other RTD.
We partnered with the globally recognized team from the studio, Buck (of Into the Spiderverse fame) to build a vibrant world that follows Yuki and her circle of friends on a journey through a Tokyo-inspired nightscape—just like the Maru-Hi can. (Spoiler: More Yuki adventures to come!)
We extended this into striking print and OOH, including a glow-in-the-dark installation, framing illustrations within manga-style panels to create dynamic stories that stand out in a crowded category.
Suntory has big ambitions within the RTD category, with the goal to be the number one global ready-to-drink company by 2030. And in this overly saturated RTD market where many consumers have a hard time understanding product differences ((e.g., the differences between hard seltzers, hard sodas, hard teas, etc.), their goal was to create awareness and distinction for the launch of one of their new RTDs (Maru-Hi) and drive consideration to purchase in store.
While the campaign launch is in its earliest days, our impossible to ignore brand world and creative and design assets have garnered significant results, blowing all distributor goals out of the water. More to come as the work launches in-earnest as we move into Q2.
The perception of Japanese culture is overwhelmingly positive in the US. Japanese products are inherently perceived as clean, high-end, and focused on craft.
Tokyo’s nightlife is our backdrop - establishing a mood and time of day. The neon treatment is reminiscent of Tokyo’s nightlife but also associated with neon signs at the entrance of bars that invite and welcome passersbys in.
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None yet but we intend to enter this to several shows upon gaining more momentum with results.
