In the 1970s, Japanese whiskey makers began to put western celebrities in their ads. One of the first is Sammy Davis Jr. – Singers, actors, members of the pack, and one of the few American entertainers at the right time – it makes sense for the job. She’s not just a normal face. He has drank how whiskey is usually served in Japan – high, fizzy, and more than ice.
The Japanese whiskey culture leans light. Highballs are standard: whiskey with soda and ice, usually in high glasses. It is refreshing, barred, and theater in a quiet way. Davis is back like that too. He is often photographed with high drinks, mixed -mixing, which distinguishes it from the entire rat pack. Frank Sinatra – who loves Martinis being touched in ice – Known quickly and rigidly. Davis prefers something more intentional.
At the time of suntory – one of the oldest and most influential whiskey manufacturers in Japan – hiring it, Japan is a scene for the cocktail revolution. Whiskey is not just a drink – it’s a whole show. This is where Davis fits. He not only sells the product, but he also matches it.
Whiskey ads that don’t need songs
The 1974 suntory commercial opened to Sammy Davis Jr in a gray suit, alone at a table with a bottle of whiskey. No music, no tagline-the sound of Davis scat-singing under his breath and knocking on glass. Ice hit the tumbler, click the hat, and everything is a shot. It is unclear what he does, but it’s hard to stay away.
It runs under a minute. No cutaways, no results, no slogans. Only Davis poured drinks like he was playing during training. The ad feels improvised but strange. There is something music in how the scene builds, even without melodies. And for whiskey ads, it’s closer to performing arts.
This is not how most celebrity ads appear in the 70s. It’s not polished, and it’s definitely not trying to sell any normal way. That’s why it’s still discussed. Years later, the ad inspired Sofia Coppola while writing Lost in Translation, another quiet to sell Japanese alcohol Without saying at all. But Davis arrived there first – and didn’t need a script to make it unforgettable.