Asahi Beverages has appointed BMF and Kerfuffle as its new creative agencies following a competitive pitch, and has parted ways with incumbent partners Clemenger BBDO and Droga5.
The appointments complete a broader agency restructure for the beverages company, which earlier this week named Mindshare as its new media partner.
Who gets what
The two agencies have divided Asahi’s portfolio between them. Kerfuffle will lead creative work across Carlton, Great Northern, Vodka Cruiser, Woodstock, and Schweppes. BMF takes responsibility for Victoria Bitter, Hard Rated, Solo, and Solo Energy.
Asahi is also introducing an “Agency Council” model, designed to bring its creative and media partners together to collaborate on shared goals and business opportunities across the portfolio.
Lauren Fildes, GM Portfolio and Brand Marketing at Asahi Beverages, said the new structure reflected the company’s One Asahi philosophy – treating its multi-beverage portfolio as a connected offering rather than a collection of standalone brands.
“We’re grateful for the time, energy and creativity all agencies brought to the competitive process, and we congratulate our new partners on their appointment,” Fildes said.
“By appointing Kerfuffle and BMF alongside Mindshare and embedding a collaborative way of working where we share goals and plan together, we’re setting ourselves up to drive long-term value for the business.”
New partners respond
BMF CEO Stephen McArdle said the appeal of the brief was the cultural weight of the brands involved.
“The Asahi team are super smart, values-driven humans with a belief in creativity as a powerful force for brand growth. The fact that many of those brands are already iconic and help shape Australian culture makes this partnership unbelievably exciting,” McArdle said.
Kerfuffle CEO Paul McMillan struck a more measured tone, acknowledging the competitive field the agency had come through.
“We’re genuinely grateful for the opportunity and the trust that the Asahi team have put in Kerfuffle. There are a lot of talented people and great agencies in this industry, so we’re incredibly proud that the work, thinking and chemistry of the Kerfuffle team resonated. It’s time to get to work,” McMillan said.
Asahi acknowledged the outgoing agencies, Clemenger BBDO and Droga5, for their contributions during their tenure.