Asahi
Translating the complexity of Japanβs iconic beer
Outdoors | Conceptual | Social
Asahi is the worldβs most famous Japanese beer. And because of the way itβs brewed, it tastes pretty unique too. Thereβs a word for it in fact, karakuchi (θΎε£). Itβs sometimes translated as βsuper dryβ but really itβs a combination of crispness, dryness and refreshment thatβs 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 decided 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 youβre falling in love. I could go on, but youβve probably got the ideaβ¦
Sensorial overload
Developing that original insight, it followed that karakuchi defies translation. Itβs something you have to experience to fully grasp β 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.
