Kirin, one of Japan’s “Big Four” brewers, is gearing up for their 100th anniversary in February 2007. To celebrate, they’re having big campaigns and new/old beers that reflect on their history as a company. Old Kirin advertisements are popping up, promoting a nostalgic view of the beer and brand, and showing younger consumers the more traditional side of Kirin.
Today marks the re-release of two milestone Kirin beers that haven’t been available for many years. The old-style Kirin Lager of the Meiji Era (1868-1912) is made as it was at the Japan Brewing Company when it started brewing Kirin Beer in 1888. The Kirin Pilsener is a Taisho Era (1912-1926) beer made as it was when the first Kirin beer factory was built in Yokohama in 1907.
This is brilliant marketing on the part of Kirin, as it makes consumers more interested in the brand’s history, and even lets them taste that history at the same time. Kirin is not a traditional Japanese company, as it owes a great deal to Western traders who helped found it, but this makes its history even more interesting to explore for an anniversary. Despite Japan being seen as “future oriented” by the outside, nostalgia and history are a major trend for marketing these days. We talked about it recently with these Lumix cameras as well as elsewhere.
The re-released beers are in limited supply, like many beers that come and go in Japan on what seems to be a weekly basis. On January 17th, Kirin will be releasing a limited 100th Anniversary bottled beer, and they have even more beer/campaign surprises for 2007.
We’ll be following this from here on out, as any excuse to mix beer with work MUST be taken advantage of. Now that I quit smoking it’ll be harder to cover all the cool marketing from my other vice, Lucky Strike.
Michael is CEO and Co-Founder of the 
This is one of my favourite brands of beer, one for the taste and two, for the unicorn on the label. Were I only in Japan to sample the heritage brews.
Cool site!
Greetings:
My wife, brother-in-law, and me recently visited Japan for nearly 3 weeks and very much enjoyed Kirin beer. At a restaurant for dinner I noticed some very fine looking advertisement posters on the wall for Kirin Beer. My son collects poster art. I asked the manager where I might purchase some and he said he’d check on it. I’d like to go to the source and see if any of the reprints of the older posters are available for sale and mailing to the U.S. I very much enjoy Kirin beer and would be pleased to obtain copies of these posters. Any help from you would be greatly appreciated. My U.S.A address is 2579 Tower Hill Lane, Rochester Hills, Michigan 48306. My phone numbers are 248 601-9468 and 248 761-6127. Many thanks in advance.
Johnnie B. Rambus
P.S. I saw three Kirin posters at the Kitakaisen Sushi Restaurant in Okinawa not far from Ishikawa. The manager there is Mr. Senda and he said his posters date back to 1912 and soon thereafter. The posters there are the three classic ones.