Asahi Super Dry is making its debut on the football pitch, in a major challenge to the world’s biggest beer brands.
The premium Japanese beer has inked a multimillion-pound deal with City Football Group, the owner of Manchester City, Melbourne City in Australia, the Japanese team Yokohama F Marinos, and China’s Sichuan Jiuniu.
It is the biggest-ever marketing investment ever undertaken by the parent company, which also owns the likes of Peroni and Grolsch.
Asahi Europe & International global brands director Richard Ingram said the move formed part of Super Dry’s “huge ambition to become a top 10 premium lager brand” globally.
The “very active multi-year partnership” is set to grow in its last few years, he said.
The deal will see the brand served at the four teams’ stadiums and promoted on LED screens within the stadiums, which “gets us in everyone’s houses”.
Manchester City’s Ethiad Stadium previously had a supply agreement with Heineken, which has ended with Asahi’s deal.
It comes as the brand is simultaneously embarking on a major push into rugby, having signed up as a worldwide partner of the upcoming 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The brand has put in a stellar performance in the supermarkets over the past year, growing 9.1% (£1.9m) to £23m [NielsenIQ 52 w/e 30 April 2022]. It comes in contrast to many other booze brands, which were left struggling to lap the strong retail sales seen during 2021.
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