Sapporo Premium Beer will celebrate the story of its creator Seibei Nakagawa and bring the brewery’s origins to life through stylish manga imagery in a new national marketing campaign set to launch in Australia next month via new work from Cummins&Partners.
The campaign depicts Sapporo’s beginnings in the late 1800s and shares the brand’s history through Japanese Manga artwork, as a nod to the country’s unique culture and Sapporo’s proud standing as the oldest beer brand from Japan.
A crisp, perfectly balanced golden lager with a full malt character, Sapporo is brewed under licence and distributed in Australia by Coopers Brewery.
The campaign, to roll out in November, will present disruptive new creative that tells the story of Seibei Nakagawa’s journey as he created Japan’s legendary beer.
In 1865, a young Nakagawa dreamt of leaving his homeland in search of adventure. However, with citizens strictly forbidden from leaving the country, he devised a plan to sneak aboard a merchant ship bound for England.
After seven years exploring Europe, he eventually made his way to Germany and landed a job at the Berlin Beer Brewing Company. It’s here where he discovered a true passion for brewing and became a certified brewmaster. Around the time Nakagawa returned to Japan, plans were already underway to build Japan’s first brewery. Given his recently acquired expertise, Nakagawa was hired as the brewery’s chief engineer and in 1876, in Japan’s far northern city of Sapporo, the beer bearing its city’s namesake was born.
Brand manager Chris Levey said the premium and authentic Sapporo offering resonates with Australian beer drinkers who are increasingly seeking more rewarding beer experiences.
“The Sapporo origin is legendary in Japan; an inspiring story that changed Japanese beer for years to come,” Levey said.
“Sapporo is admired across the globe for its deeply rooted heritage and its impact on Japanese beer culture.
“Australian drinkers have a strong thirst for Japanese beers and Sapporo continues to deliver high performing sales for trade retailers in bottle shops and pubs across the country.
“Sapporo is the fastest growing top 15 premium international lager in Australia by volume and value.
“Sapporo’s sales history in Australia has shown that consumers long to discover authentic brands and experiences.
“Our nationwide campaign features unmissable outdoor media advertising, exciting digital partnerships, new retail promotions and refreshed point of sale collateral,” he said.
The new marketing campaign follows a recent packaging refresh, visually aligning all packaging with Sapporo’s iconic 650ml silver can to drive greater recognition across the Sapporo range.
“We’re gearing up for a busy summer and this campaign is sure to have Sapporo top of mind for consumers around the country,” said Levey.
