In Japan, 98% of people are Vitamin D deficient, according to a study by Jieki University School of Medicine. The country’s long-standing culture of overwork, combined with the dense urban environment, has created a lifestyle that keeps people indoors, and away from the sun.
That puts Corona – synonymous with beaches, sunshine and escape – at odds with its environment in Japan. Gut has made that an asset helping the brand to stand out with an outdoor campaign, Impossible Plants, that uses the resilience of plants as a powerful metaphor for perseverance in modern life, and a reminder that anything is possible under the sun.
The OOH campaign, set against Tokyo’s dense concrete sprawl, draws inspiration from an often-overlooked sight – plants that somehow force their way through cracks in the pavement, sprout between tiles, and thrive in the unlikeliest corners of the city – all instinctively reaching for the sun. Its images of these natural rebels, thriving where they shouldn’t, capture a moment of improbable growth – roots splitting tile, stems bending past steel, life insisting on light.
“By spotlighting ‘impossible plants’, we hope to tell a story of resilience, our connection to nature, and ultimately, about the sun’s power to guide us forward,” stated Alex Lambrecht, head of marketing East Asia at AB InBev.
“It’s a fresh approach for Corona – more introspective, poetic, yet still deeply rooted in the brand’s sun-drenched DNA,” added Carlos Camacho, CCO GUT Asia. “In a time when burnout and isolation have become part of everyday life, we wanted to create something that quietly speaks to people’s inner battles. This campaign is a message of hope -demonstrating that even in concrete, life can bloom under the sun.”
The initial OOH placements have appeared in Sinokubo with other locations to follow. The campaign also features print ads running in Sponichi this month.
Credits:
Creative Agency: GUT
CCO Asia: Carlos Camacho
Creative Directors: Augustus Sung, Meyvi Wedelia
Associative Creative Directors: Ismael Crespo, Ernest Chin
Maanging Director: Jessica Davey
Strategist: Belinda Sim
Group Account Director: Liz Leow
Client: Corona
Head of Marketing East Asia: AB InBev
Marketing Associate Director, JNZ: Maya Carines
Corona Senior Brand Manager, JNZ: Katie Kim
Media Connections, Digital & Data, Senior Manager: Ian Yano
Draftline Director: Wongi Ryu
Creative Writing Specialist: Wieden Kim
Photographer: Ale Burset
