Kerfuffle and BMF appointed as Asahi Beverages’ new creative agencies

Asahi Beverages has locked in Kerfuffle and BMF as its new creative agencies, reinforcing its ambition to accelerate growth across its leading multi-beverage portfolio in Australia. The two agencies will come together as creative partners to oversee work on Asahi’s iconic brands.

Under the remit, Kerfuffle will lead on Carlton, Great Northern, Vodka Cruiser, Woodstock and Schweppes, while BMF will lead work for Victoria Bitter, Hard Rated, Solo and Solo Energy – marking the end of Asahi’s relationships with outgoing creative partners Clemenger BBDO and Droga5 ANZ, whom the company acknowledges for their valuable contribution and commitment during their tenure.

The appointment reunites Kerfuffle co-founder Ant Keogh – one of the creative minds behind Carlton Draught’s legendary ‘Big Ad’ – with one of Australia’s most iconic beer portfolios.

This follows a competitive pitch and the announcement last week that Mindshare would become Asahi’s new media partner.

These appointments represent a shift toward a more unified way of working with external partners aligned to Asahi’s One Asahi philosophy, where the Asahi multi-beverage portfolio is a connected total beverage offering rather than a collection of individual brands.

To help bring this to life, Asahi Beverages will introduce an “Agency Council” model to enable all partners to collaborate closely, share expertise and tackle business opportunities collectively.

Says Lauren Fildes, GM Portfolio and Brand Marketing at Asahi Beverages: “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. 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.”

Says Stephen McArdle, CEO, BMF: “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.”

Says Paul McMillan, CEO, Kerfuffle: “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.”

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