7-Eleven Australia is bringing the viral Japanese treats loved by Aussies travellers.
The activation is targeting Gen Z and younger food-forward shoppers with a new nationwide Japanese-inspired marketing campaign.
The multimillion-dollar campaign draws on the cult status of 7-Eleven Japan among Australian travellers, with more than one million Australians visiting Japan last year.
The retailer is now bringing that global fascination home, positioning its expanding Japanese range as a step-change in how customers perceive food at their local 7-Eleven.
From egg salad rolls to gyoza
The campaign spotlights a mix of traditional Japanese favourites and modern cult products, including onigiri, egg salad rolls and gyoza, alongside Coolish frozen desserts, Umami Japan Bakery products, Boss Coffee, matcha-flavoured items and Hi-Chew confectionery.
Adam Jacka, General Manager Marketing at 7-Eleven Australia, said customer demand had driven the expansion.
“In recent years, Japan has become a defining force in global culture, creative expressions and tastes. Australians have been flooding our social DMs asking for these Japanese Konbini icons and we’ve listened,” he said.
“The customer demand has been phenomenal as we’ve scaled the ranges, and in the next 12 months we expect to sell millions of our Japanese icons.”
Lifting perceptions beyond convenience
While the campaign leans heavily into Japanese food culture, Jacka said the broader ambition was to reshape how Australians think about 7-Eleven’s overall food and beverage offer.
“Our ambition is to be a trusted destination for food and beverages that all Australians can rely on in their local neighbourhood, and expanding our range, quality and flavour profiles are key to that,” he said.
“This campaign isn’t just about Japanese icons. It’s about lifting customer perceptions across our entire food and beverage offer and showcasing there’s more than you imagined at your local 7-Eleven!”
Japanese authenticity front and centre
Developed by Clemenger BBDO, the creative leans into Japanese language, iconography and visual cues, blending bold graphics with 7-Eleven’s signature colour palette.
New illustrated Japanese characters have been introduced to represent different food icons across the range.
Amy Weston, Executive Creative Director at Clemenger BBDO, said authenticity was key to the approach.
“We went all in on a Japanese authenticity that 7-Eleven is uniquely positioned to offer,” Weston said. “We wanted to bring real Japanese flavour to life, in a fun and iconic way.”
National rollout with a standout OOH moment
The campaign launches nationally this week across all 765 7-Eleven stores, supported by out-of-home, radio, social, influencer partnerships, My 7-Eleven loyalty promotions and delivery platforms including Uber Eats, DoorDash and 7NOW Delivery.
A key execution includes a distinctive 3D out-of-home placement in Melbourne’s CBD, designed to stop passers-by and reinforce the campaign’s playful, high-impact tone.