-196 UK Launch
In the Spring of 2024, Japanese beverage conglomerate Suntory launched their alcohol pre-mix RTD brand -196 in the UK market. Already a success in its native Japan, and a big hit among Gen Z in Australia - taking up a similar cultural space to White Claw in the US - the challenge put to agency Accenture Song was how to repeat this success in Europe, with the UK being a test market before launch elsewhere.
The response to this challenge was to create a culture around the brand via partnerships within music, dining and entertainment. This included with the Brockwell Live series of festivals, with big names like Haai from the world of dance music and with Yo! Sushi, plus a suite of influencer partnerships across verticals.
I lead on directing the partnership with Yo! Sushi, plus on all influencer work. This included deals with talent across the worlds of music, nightlife, food and drag. I lead a small team of influencer managers and executives to bring the vision to life, in a very exciting contract.
