Asahi
Translating the complexity of Japan’s iconic beer
Outdoors | Conceptual | Social
Asahi is the world’s most famous Japanese beer. And because of the way it’s brewed, it tastes pretty unique too. There’s a word for it in fact, karakuchi (辛口). It’s sometimes translated as “super dry” but really it’s a combination of crispness, dryness and refreshment that’s hard to pin down.
Capturing karakuchi
How do you get across the clean, crisp sensation of karakuchi to global audiences unfamiliar with the word? That was the creative challenge Asahi set Purple Creative.
I was prompted to investigate that category of words with no equivalent in English. Untranslatables like saudade in Portuguese, a kind of longing for someone absent. Or forelsket in Norwegian, the euphoria you feel when you’re falling in love. I could go on, but you’ve probably got the idea…
Sensorial overload
Developing that original insight, it followed that karakuchi defies translation. It’s something you have to experience to fully grasp – a crisp, dry, refreshing sensation which the creative team at Purple captured in a highly sensorial monochrome treatment. Asahi were instantly sold on the concept. The campaign went live in 11 countries and was translated into seven languages. Which was kind of fitting, really.
