Suntory Kakubin

Suntory Kakubin

Introduction

Suntory Kakubin (or Kaku) is the best known whisky of the brand. It is a classic label in Japan. Its name means “square bottle” and describes the shape of the bottle. It has a turtle shell shape. It was created in 1937. It is the most successful whiskey launch since then, the Japanese whiskey market being the second largest in the world.. The appearance of the date of creation (1937) of the bottle makes a link between ancient times and nowadays. One can find symbolism in Japanese medias and anime (Bartender, 2nd episode) that it recalls the “imperial and militarist Japan”.

Promotion

The last ad for Suntory Kakubin features Koyuki Kaku, 32. She is a very well known Japanese actress and model, and also in Western countries for her role in The Last Samouraï with Tom Cruise. It exits two versions of this ad.
The first one is a video, available on the Internet and on TV. One can heard “Watashi wa koori. Anata wa whiskey” (I am ice cube, you are whisky.). A man seducing her, is approaching towards her. The catch phrase highlights the complementariness between ice cubes and whiskey, and more generally, thewoman and the man in a couple, which is very symbolic in Japan. Hence Hofstede, “distribution of roles between genders” is very clear in Japan. Here, the man is alcohol, is strong and deep (“assertive pole”). In the contrary, the women is ice cubes, sweetening and cooling down the taste of spirits (“caring pole”). That symbolises balance. Kakubin is particularly enjoyed at home

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=oHJKOku25zM (for a better quality commercial.)

Thanks to Mrs Kawate Megumi, I understood that Koyuki said " As a matter of fact, I like younger guys than me". At the end, we heard and read “Suntory Kaku”. This is the cognitive part of the ad. It precisely shows the bottle.

The second ad is a photo, available in magazines for exemple. Suntory also chooses to put it out-door, and especially inside subways coaches and on platforms. We can find it in the streets too. There are 3 different versions. The catch phrase is "At night, we start the evening with a cocktail/a whisky cocktail" (more thanks to Mrs Kawate Megumi )

Suntory Kakubin ad on the Yamanote Line ( personal sources)

Idem ( personal source)

Another printed-ad for Suntory Kakubin ( sources : Internet)

Outdoor ad for Suntory Kakubin ( Tokyo Station) ( personal sources)

Personal reaction:

What strikes me the most in the video ad is that I could never find it in France. Why? In France, there is a law call “loi Evin” (Evin Law), dated from 1991, that prevents the right of broadcasting spirits and all alcoholic beverages advertising on TV. It was declared to protect “youth people from marketing operations”. Those ads are also forbidden on the radio on Wednesdays, and everyday from 5:00 Pm to midnight.

Moreover, it surprises me that a woman plays the main role for a whisky ad. In France, it would be a man. Spirits like whiskey are more a “male” beverage, whereas women prefer soft and sweet alcohol beverages like Eristoff Ice, Desperados (Heineken group), Malibu …

Eventually, in the French authorized ads, we don't usually find human figures on them. All focus on the bottle itself, or landscapes for exemple for the Scotch whiskey.