Trade Film Celebrates Brewing Asahi Super Dry for the First Time in North America

When Asahi created the world’s first Super Dry beer back in 1987, they changed the world of beer forever.

6,000 miles from Tokyo, the Japanese premium beer brand has created another landmark moment, making the bold step to start brewing Asahi Super Dry at Asahi’s Octopi brewery in Wisconsin, USA.

“This is the first time we’ve brewed Asahi Super Dry in North America, so the brief for the team at our Octopi facility was to brew a beer that perfectly matched the unique Super Dry taste that you’d enjoy in a bar in Japan.”  commented Zuzana Dudová, marketing director, Asahi Beer USA

The brief for Purple Creative was just as precise – create a trade film that communicates the significance of the moment, showcasing the progressive brewery and capturing the importance to both Asahi and its US customers.

Based on the success of other brand content Purple has shot for the brand in Japan, UK and Europe over the past eight years, the London-based creative agency was commissioned to deliver this US video production.

“While we were finalising the script and storyboards, we talked to the Asahi team about the look we wanted. The Asahi Super Dry brand world is modern and clean, with an instantly recognisable silver brand aesthetic, something we wanted to replicate in Wisconsin by showcasing craft, detail and more zen-like moments that celebrated shadow and light. The brewery looks incredible, and we wanted to capture its modern, industrial beauty, as well as authentic interviews with the Japanese and U.S. Master Brewers”. said Gary Westlake, creative director, Purple Creative

Kingdom Filmworks, Madison, WI, were selected as production partners for film and photography.

“To give the film a polished, cinematic look, we shot on Arri Alexa Mini LF cameras. We collaborated closely with Purple and the Asahi team to ensure we authentically captured Asahi Super Dry’s signature aesthetic. This meant investing significant time in pre-production – including multiple location and tech scouts – and carefully planning our framing, lighting, and lens choices for each scene to align with the brand’s visual identity.”
Michael Palzkill, partner, director and DP, Kingdom Filmworks

The deliverables included long-form videos tailored to U.S. customers, short-form trailers and social media snackables, featuring the interviews. The work is supported by stills photography and brewery media opportunities like truck liveries and outdoor signage.

“Through brewing Asahi Super Dry at the Octopi brewery, we hope to reach millions more American beer drinkers and help them discover the unique Super Dry taste. This content brilliantly showcases how we are delivering Asahi Super Dry beer to our U.S. customers, to be enjoyed by consumers just like it’s enjoyed in Japan." said Matt Schmidt, marketing manager, Asahi Beer USA