• by Fern Siegel , September 17, 2024

Ready-to Drink beverages are popular worldwide, driven largely by Gen Z and millennial consumers. That's why Suntory Global Spirits has just launched a U.S. campaign for -196, its Japanese-inspired vodka seltzer brand.

The -196 brand is named for Suntory’s proprietary Freeze, Crush, Infusion (FCI) process. The fruit is frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius to capture the fruit flavor, available in lemon, peach and grapefruit.

Creative agency Johannes Leonardo created the “Unusual Your Usual” campaign, which runs across YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. The “Unusual Your Usual” campaign 30-second spot is here. There are also three 15-second variations.

The -196 brand expanded to 25 U.S. markets and additional countries in February, but Suntory is launching the campaign now, ahead of the product going national in early 2025.

Filmed on a sound stage in Tokyo, the highly visual ad recreates a mock -196 factory to showcase the energy of Suntory’s FCI process.

"Our collective aim was to make Japanese ads, not merely recreate them. That meant doing everything the Japanese way, with an acclaimed Japanese director and full Japanese crew. It’s a campaign rooted in an appreciation for Japanese culture layered in with American-style jokes and Easter eggs,”Andrew Tobin, Johannes Leonardo creative director, told Agency Daily.

Since its launch in Japan in 2005, -196 has become Suntory’s best-selling canned ready-to-drink offerings, delivering around 12% sales growth for the company. That's part of a larger trend in the RTD category. The market is poised to reach $28.6 billion in 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%, according to a Persistence Market Research report. The RTD alcoholic beverages market was estimated at $18.7 billion in 2023.

“We’ve seen an incredible response from U.S. consumers to the -196 brand because of its differentiated taste. It’s uniquely refreshing and fruit-forward. “Unusual Your Usual” is how we are going to celebrate the brand’s Japanese heritage to drive further interest,” Carol Robert, managing director U.S. ready-to-drink at Suntory Global Spirits, told AD.

The category's popularity is driven by younger demos attracted to its flavor options, natural ingredients and lower alcohol content.

Suntory owns the American brands Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. Johannes Leonardo's client work includes adidas basketball, Kraft Mac & Cheese and Volkswagen.