Asahi hands media account across 20 markets to upstart

Asahi International has chosen a maker of trouble over a maker of waves to handle media for six of its brands across a wide geography including 20 markets.

Trouble Maker, an "end-to-end content, media and distribution agency" set up in June by four UK industry figures, has won the media account for the Japanese brewing giant across EMEA, Central and South America.

The agency won the business from incumbent Wavemaker following a series of chemistry meetings and presentations. It will handle media planning and buying across 20 markets and six brands: Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch, Asahi Super Dry, Kozel, Pilsner Urquell and Fuller's London Pride.

It adds the new account to its existing work as lead global creative agency for Peroni Nastro Azzurro, which was Trouble Maker's founding client. In 13 of the 20 markets it will now be responsible for strategy, creative, technology, production and media for Peroni.

Trouble Maker's remit for Asahi covers traditional media, paid social, programmatic, paid search, video-on-demand, partnerships and influencer marketing, as well as consultancy support for content distribution across additional markets.

Trouble Maker said it would work closely with specialist media partners such as Plexus in out-of-home, and alongside independent agency network Local Planet to provide local market knowledge and specialisms with TV and video-on-demand solutions.

Ross Sergeant, global head of media and touchpoints at Asahi International, said the business had chosen to work with Trouble Maker because of "their network of in-market specialists who they engage for each plan, making each country’s media and touchpoints uniquely appropriate. We’ve seen a massively positive step-change in the way our brands communicate through touchpoints.”