Asahi Super Dry sailed into Manchester today as Manchester City legends Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shaun Goater delivered Japan’s number one beer to the home of the English Champions after becoming a Global Partner of City Football Group.
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Japan’s number one beer, Asahi Super Dry, is a new Global Partner of City Football Group - including reigning Premier League Champions, Manchester City.
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The deal sees Asahi Super Dry become the new Official Beer Partner of four City Football Group clubs - Manchester City, Melbourne City, Yokohama F. Marinos, and Sichuan Juiniu, all of which will serve Asahi Super Dry from the beginning of their respective seasons.
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High profile brand presence across perimeter LED boards, on social and within the stadiums will celebrate the coming together of Asahi Super Dry and City Football Group.
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Ahead of the first Manchester City home match of the season, City legends Shaun Goater and Shaun Wright-Phillips skippered ‘The Pride of Manchester City’ with a special shipment of Asahi Super Dry down the Manchester Ship Canal.
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The Japanese boat to deliver the first shipment of Asahi Super Dry to the Etihad Stadium ahead of the first home game of the new season on August 13
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As the two progressive brands come together, Asahi Super Dry, in partnership with City Football Group, will go beyond the traditional boundaries to elevate the fan experience.
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Asahi Super Dry has already made a significant investment in premiumising the fan experience including, installing cutting-edge equipment and upgrading the bar facilities at Etihad Stadium and stadia around the world.
Referencing the symbolic ship featured on the Manchester City crest, ‘The Pride of Manchester City’ sailed down the iconic Manchester Ship Canal with a special shipment of Asahi Super Dry on board. The ship, skippered by City legends, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shaun Goater, was created for the launch of a global partnership that will bring Manchester City fans a taste of modern Japan.
The multi-year deal will put City fans at the heart of the partnership through a series of giveaways and competitions, starting on Saturday 13th August at Manchester City’s opening home game of the 2022/23 season against AFC Bournemouth.
Manchester City legend Shaun Wright-Phillips said: “Man City fans have supported this amazing football club, from 3rd tier to Premier League champions playing some of the best football in the world. They deserve the best beer to enjoy on matchday and Asahi Super Dry offers them that. Sailing it up the historic Manchester Ship canal was a real buzz and I hope City fans enjoy a drink responsibly on Saturday as we embark on another exciting season – Kanpai [cheers] to the fans!”
As part of bringing a unique Japanese super dry taste to City Football Group, Manchester City fans will benefit from being served Asahi Super Dry beer through the cutting-edge technology installed around the concourses. While the world’s leading hospitality facility at the Etihad Stadium will now also be known as the ‘Asahi Super Dry Tunnel Club’.
Other clubs within City Football Group, including A-League Champions Melbourne City as well as Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos and, will now serve Asahi Super Dry from the beginning of their respective seasons and China’s Sichuan Jiuniu from 2023.
Promoting the fan experience reflects the purpose of Asahi Super Dry’s custodian Asahi Europe & International (AEI) of creating meaningful connections with people and planet. In today’s world, human togetherness, sense of belonging and connecting are more important than ever. With this new global partnership Asahi Europe & International are proud to enable further meaningful connections between fans worldwide through shared passions of high quality football experiences and our global brand, Asahi Super Dry across all corners and cultures of the world.
Richard Ingram, Global Brands Director at Asahi Europe & International said: “This is a global partnership like no other – together Asahi Super Dry and City Football Group will place the fans right at the heart of this partnership. We’ve invested significantly into the infrastructure at Etihad Stadium and stadia around the world to elevate the fan experience, immersing them into modern Japan. Delivering a premium football experience is the key to this partnership – we plan to go beyond the expected at every game. Partnering with one of the most progressive football groups worldwide, we are perfectly matched in vision and values, making this an extremely exciting partnership for both brands.”
Esteve Calzada, Chief Commercial Officer at City Football Group, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce today’s partnership with Asahi Super Dry. Continuous innovation and improving fan experience are important values that we hold across our clubs at City Football Group and its fantastic that Asahi Super Dry share these principles and are joining us on our journey. Our organisations naturally align across a number of key markets and Asahi Super Dry’s knowledge and expertise will allow us to further increase our presence in these regions, working with four of our CFG clubs. We look forward to working together in the future as the partnership progresses.”
