Heineken retains Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon for Japan creative

Other agencies to have pitched for the account include Grey, Dentsu, Hakuhodo and boutique agency No Problem. Heineken International called the pitch for its flagship brand in September.

Representatives from Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon could not be reached for comment on the result.

Heineken has a relatively small presence in Japan. According to research from Euromonitor, the brand accounted for 0.1 per cent of the market in 2007.

While foreign beer brands have niche appeal in Japan, the market continues to be dominated by domestic giants Asahi and Kirin, which both hold market share of close to 35 per cent.