-196 CANADIAN LAUNCH
INTRODUCING A JAPANESE ICON THROUGH CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
In 2025, Suntory Global Spirits prepared to introduce -196 Vodka Soda, one of the world’s leading ready-to-drink (RTD) brands, to the Canadian market. Despite its global success, the brand entered Canada with low awareness, limited understanding of its name, and minimal familiarity with its proprietary Freeze Crush Infuse (FCI) Technology.
PRAXIS led the launch of -196 in a way that felt culturally credible, differentiated, and social-first, building awareness, understanding, and early consideration among legal-drinking-age consumers, without relying on traditional advertising.
CREATING IMMERSIVE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
PRAXIS developed a launch program that introduced -196 through immersive cultural experiences, supported by influencer storytelling and experiential seeding.
Insights showed that legal-drinking-age consumers (19–35) are culturally curious, socially motivated, and more receptive to brands introduced through people and experiences rather than traditional launch campaigns. Japanese street culture and izakaya-style social moments resonate strongly in urban Canadian centres, especially among multicultural audiences.
Two launch events were hosted in Vancouver and Calgary, the first Canadian markets where -196 was available. Each event was designed to reflect modern Japanese street culture and izakaya-inspired social energy.
Experiential elements included Japanese-inspired food, arcade games, karaoke, apparel customization, and bold visual design, creating an environment that encouraged exploration, participation, and social sharing. Influencers and media experienced the product in context, rather than through scripted brand messaging.
Creators across British Columbia and Alberta shared their experiences organically, translating the launch moments into earned social coverage that felt authentic, culturally relevant, and peer-endorsed.
A BRAND NOT JUST EXPLAINED, BUT FELT
To extend the experience beyond the events, PRAXIS designed and distributed “Crush & Chill” seeding kits. These custom kits visually demonstrated the ‘Freeze, Crush, Infuse’ process by embedding cans in ice-like packaging, making the production story tangible and easy to understand.
The kits were intentionally designed to spark unprompted content creation and product education, reinforcing differentiation through design rather than explanation.
ESTABLISHING -196 AS A DIFFERENTIATED NEW ENTRANT IN CANADA
Beyond reach, the program delivered strong qualitative impact, with influencers citing the experience as unexpected, premium, and culturally authentic, key signals for a new brand entering a skeptical category.
- 2 immersive influencer events with 104 total attendees across creators, media, and tastemakers
- Nearly 4.3 million earned impressions generated from 292 pieces of social coverage from the events
- 35 Crush & Chill
-196 stood out in a crowded category
The -196 launch demonstrates how PR can introduce unfamiliar global brands by translating product innovation into cultural experience. Rather than relying on traditional launch tactics, the program embedded the brand into moments of social connection, education, and discovery, earning attention instead of buying it.
