September 1, 2025
Asahi
BLACKPINK Joins Asahi Super Dry Campaign
Asahi Super Dry nominated K-pop group BLACKPINK as brand ambassadors for its first unified East Asia campaign, which spans Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mongolia. It features limited edition packaging, branded merchandise and large-scale billboards. The campaign tagline, “BLACKPINK in your Dry,” adapts the group’s popular phrase. Asahi views the collaboration as a way to connect with younger consumers across fast-growing markets, particularly China. With Europe its largest overseas market, the company is expanding its regional presence. BLACKPINK’s global influence, reflected in their streaming numbers and social media following, is expected to boost the brand’s visibility.
Brands
Lotte Expands Oatmond Plant-Based Drinks
Lotte Chilsung Beverage expanded its “Oatmond” plant-based drinks line. Oatmond blends oats and almonds with added vitamins, minerals and postbiotics. The range now includes Original, Chocolate and Unsweetened varieties, offering low-calorie options for different needs. Recently, the company launched Oatmond Protein, a zero-sugar drink with 21g of protein per pack, alongside BCAA and arginine to support exercise and recovery. Actor Seol In-ah was named brand ambassador to promote Oatmond’s healthy image. Products are available through Chilsung Mall and convenience stores, with marketing campaigns running on YouTube and Instagram.
Carlsberg
7UP Launches New Pink Lemonade Flavor
Carlsberg Britvic introduced 7UP Pink Lemonade, a zero-sugar drink combining lemon, lime and raspberry flavors. It’s the first 7UP launch in the UK since 2020 and caters to consumer demand for sugar-free drinks while standing out visually with its pink color. The brand, already the UK’s top lemon-lime soft drink, expects the new variant to attract both existing fans and new shoppers. Pink Lemonade is initially available through selected retailers in cans, bottles and multipacks, before rolling out more widely across grocery, convenience and foodservice channels.
Companies
Carlsberg Britvic Plans New Logistics Depot
Carlsberg Britvic will open a £4 million, 222,000 sq ft depot at the West Midlands Interchange, a new £2 billion UK logistics hub. Construction starts later this year and is expected to open in late 2026. Designed to improve efficiency and sustainability, the facility aims for a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and will use solar panels. The move follows Carlsberg Britvic’s 2024 merger and further investment in its Burton Brewery. The depot will strengthen logistics operations while supporting the company’s sustainability goals and is expected to create 8,500 local jobs.
Robinsons Launches Summer Retailer Competition
Carlsberg Britvic launched a competition for retailers featuring its Robinsons RTD range. Three winners will receive a summer’s supply of stock plus £1,500 to refresh their stores. The contest supports the rollout of the new Orange & Mango flavor, which joins existing Raspberry & Apple and Blackberry & Blueberry options. Retailers can enter by pre-ordering shelf units via the company’s At Your Convenience platform. The promotion provides free stock kits while supplies last and encourages retailers to maximize seasonal sales opportunities driven by warm weather.
Innovations
Suntory To Use AI For Faster Decisions
Suntory Global Spirits is adopting generative AI to speed up business decision-making across sales, marketing and operations. Partnering with Globant, the company will deploy a Commercial Insights Agent that can process structured and unstructured data to generate real-time insights and recommendations. The system replaces slower manual analytics, allowing teams to independently access data and reports. Suntory expects the technology to reduce operating costs and improve efficiency. Longer term, the company sees opportunities to apply AI in forecasting, brand planning and innovation. The initiative is part of Suntory’s broader digital transformation strategy, which includes previous experiments with consumer data platforms.
Lotte
Lemon Jin Teams Up With Fashion Brand
Lotte Chilsung is partnering with outdoor fashion label Saturday Leisure Club to launch limited-edition Lemon Jin merchandise in a collaboration including a cooler bag, terry shirt jacket, and shorts, all featuring the Lemon Jin logo. Items will be sold exclusively through the Musinsa platform. Lemon Jin, a fruit-flavoured alcoholic drink, has grown rapidly since its 2021 launch, with sales exceeding 60 million cans by mid-2025. The merchandise aims to boost brand visibility during outdoor activities like picnics and beach trips, aligning with the product’s summer appeal.
RJ Corp
Varun Beverages Posts Modest Profit Growth
Varun Beverages reported a 5% year-on-year rise in after-tax profit for Q1 2025 despite a 2.3% revenue decline. The company attributed the dip to unseasonal rains that lowered sales volumes in India, which fell 7.1%. However, international markets grew 15.1%, with South Africa up 16.1%. EBITDA margins improved to 28.5%, supported by operational efficiencies. The company also acquired a 50% stake in Sri Lanka’s Everest Industrial Lanka.
Suntory
Suntory Oceania Begins Operations In Australia
Suntory launched Suntory Oceania, a AUD3 billion multi-beverage business formed with Frucor Suntory. The new subsidiary officially opened a AUD400 million carbon-neutral facility in Ipswich, Queensland, capable of producing 20 million cases annually with expansion potential to 50 million. The venture unites more than 40 brands, including Jim Beam, Hibiki, Canadian Club and a range of RTDs and soft drinks. Suntory aims to expand into New Zealand in 2026. Executives highlighted the region’s growth potential and the facility’s role in boosting innovation and supply.
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