Clemenger BBDO Defends CUB Account in Asahi Beverages Roster Review
Clemenger BBDO fights to retain decades-long Carlton & United Breweries partnership as Asahi consolidates creative roster post-acquisition. Droga5 ANZ gains ground on legacy brands.
Asahi Beverages has launched a creative agency roster review in Australia, putting decades-long partnerships under pressure as the company consolidates its agency relationships following its 2020 acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries.
Historic Partnership Faces Consolidation Pressure
Clemenger BBDO Melbourne is defending one of Australian advertising's most defining relationships. The agency has managed Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) for decades, overseeing iconic beer campaigns for Victoria Bitter, Carlton Draught, and Great Northern. Notable successes include the long-running "Made from Beer" series and the viral Beer Chase parody for Carlton Draught in 2012.
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Asahi issued the tender to prospective creative partners at the end of last year. The review also affects Droga5 ANZ, which has worked with Asahi for eight years as part of Accenture Song. Droga5 ANZ has led creative work on Asahi Super Dry, Cricketers Arms, and Mountain Goat, while increasingly taking on former CUB brands.
Clemenger BBDO has maintained an active presence during the review period. The agency launched Carlton Draught's Embrace the Mid campaign in late 2024 for the 3.5% mid-strength variant through its in-house production arm MADE THIS. The work contributed to Clemenger BBDO's number 10 ranking on the 2025 CB Hot List.
The agency also produced Hard Rated's Born Cheeky platform launch in December 2024, demonstrating continued collaboration on new brand launches even as the broader roster review progresses.
Media Account Restructuring Signals Broader Changes
The creative review coincides with a media account restructuring. Long-standing incumbent PHD Melbourne has declined to repitch for Asahi's media account. Parent company Omnicom is instead submitting one of its recently acquired IPG Mediabrands agencies, signaling major partnership changes across both creative and media functions.
Droga5 ANZ recently demonstrated its expanding role with legacy CUB brands. The agency relaunched Pure Blonde with the A Place Purer Than Yours campaign, reviving a platform originally created over a decade ago by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne. This represents the strategic shift of brands from historical agency partners to newer roster members under Asahi ownership.
Asahi has also engaged multiple creative partners including Communicado, 72andSunny, and SickDogWolfMan on various campaigns, indicating a multi-agency approach that predates the formal roster review.
Industry Consolidation Reshapes Agency Landscape
The review reflects broader consolidation trends affecting Australian agencies. The Omnicom-Interpublic merger, projecting US$20 billion in annual income as the biggest ad agency merger ever, illustrates scale-driven pressures facing local creative shops.
GroupM's plans to centralize media buying and eliminate agency-specific titles raise client conflict concerns, though Australian GroupM agencies outperform global peers due to advanced centralization in support functions.
Independent Australian agencies are positioned as potential beneficiaries of global consolidation. Clients with smaller media budgets around US$20 million struggle to get attention from multinational networks, creating opportunities for boutique players offering specialized, agile services.
The evolution toward Procurement 2.0 models in Asia-Pacific emphasizes long-term partnerships and innovation over transactional cost-cutting, with top performers achieving sustained three to four percent annual savings. This suggests relationship-based approaches may coexist with efficiency mandates, though the balance remains uncertain for legacy partnerships facing review.
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