Most Japanese companies that try to market themselves abroad hit the same wall: no in-house global marketing expertise, no budget for a multi-market campaign, and no clear way to present a Japanese brand abroad. Suntory doesn’t have that problem. In September 2026, The House of Suntory launched Made to Shine, Haku vodka’s first global campaign, fronted by Rina Sawayama and rolling out across the US, UK and Australia — a rare, well-resourced example worth studying.
Announced in New York on September 14, 2026, The House of Suntory named Rina Sawayama Haku’s first Global Ambassador for its “Made to Shine” campaign. Its hero film, directed by Frank Lebon and shot in Tokyo, follows Sawayama through the city’s nightlife ordering a Haku Martini; stills are by Thurstan Redding. Content went live on The House of Suntory’s YouTube and social channels, with the US, UK and Australia as key markets.
Suntory paired the film with digital, social, event and experiential activity, including Martini Masterclasses in New York for members of The House of Suntory’s loyalty program — a full-funnel push around one story.
“What makes you different should never be hidden,” Sawayama says — a line that works both as her own story, bridging Japanese and British culture, and as a claim for Haku, a vodka made from 100% Japanese white rice and named for jyunpaku, a sense of purity.
Rather than cast an obviously “Japanese” figure to signal authenticity, Suntory chose an ambassador who already bridges Japan and the West, and leaned into Tokyo’s cocktail craft rather than generic exoticism — the hardest balance for any Japan-origin brand going global.
Almost no Japanese company can do what Suntory just did. A name-director film, a global ambassador with her own fanbase, three-market activation and a members-only events program need a marketing budget, in-house global brand team and agency network that most companies — especially small exporters — don’t have.
Japan’s shrinking population, a weak yen and strong global interest in Japanese culture all favor overseas expansion, yet Japanese companies going abroad routinely cite a shortage of marketing talent and trade knowledge as their top barrier. Many smaller exporters also lack an English-language, AI-readable presence, which increasingly excludes them as overseas buyers use AI to shortlist suppliers before they search. Suntory’s campaign doesn’t disprove that gap — it shows what closing it properly takes.
Made to Shine shows what a fully resourced Japanese brand can do with global marketing: sharp creative, the right ambassador, and a coordinated push across paid, earned and experiential channels. Few companies can match Suntory’s budget, but the same principles — specificity, one strong story, visibility where buyers look — scale down.
If you’re planning to take a Japanese brand abroad, or bring an international brand into Japan, Mondo Marketing can help. Get in touch to start the conversation.