Suntory Buys Orangina

Editor’s Thoughts

Japanese drink maker giant, Suntory has gulped up European beverage company Orangina Schweppes for $3.8 billion dollars. Suntory, the privately owned maker of beer, whisky and soft drinks, announced earlier this summer that it is in talks to merge with Japan’s Kirin.

Suntory is the Tokyo-based brewing and distilling company group established in 1899 and is one of oldest alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink producers in Japan.

Usually I’m happy about almost any Japanese takeover, but I’m not sure if I’m happy about this one. . . Orangina is such an iconic drink of the street cafes of Italy, France and Spain…it’s just not very Japanese. . . But on the up side, Suntory commercials rock, so I’m going to highlight that instead.

Starting from uber-Japanese style CM featuring Moritaka Chisato - this must be from a decade ago - a Suntory classic.

MOCK-Suntory Commercial - Bill Murphy’s mock-Suntory-CM in “Lost in Translation”

And yes, Suntory loves to feature foreign faces in their commercials. This one features dolls and Duran Duran….

Here Harry Connick Jr. croons away with his Suntory reserve:

How about Suntory’s Final Fantasy potion?

Finally, Tommy Lee Jones have appeared in like ten of Suntory commercials - here’s one of his first ones:

What do you think about Hollywood celebrities making tons of money for a 30 second commercial in Japan? Tell me your opinion by commenting below.