How Keanu Reeves Became the Face of Suntory's 100th-Anniversary Ad Campaign: 'Suntory Time'

In a less-discussed but no less-memorable scene in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, Anna Faris’ character, Kelly, chortles about things she has in common with Keanu Reeves—her co-star in the fictitious action flick Midnight Vulture. It translates to something like two dogs, a house in L.A., and a shared love of Mexican food, yoga, and karate—the basics. Mercifully, premium Japanese whisky isn't subjected to this litany. It gets its own spectacular 'Suntory Time' cameo later on.

Two decades after the hit indie film's release, who doesn't want to have stuff in common with Keanu Reeves? He builds motorcycles, stars in Hollywood blockbusters, and is arguably the most beloved celebrity. He's the perfect frontman for Suntory’s latest advertising campaign, “Suntory Time,” and for several less shallow reasons than all the above.

He's private, humble, energetic, and passionate—at least from what I gathered after meeting him for 35 minutes ahead of a dinner celebrating 100 years of the House of Suntory and its latest campaign, directed by Coppola.

We drank Hibiki 21-Year-Old and discussed what, at this point in his career, drew him to an advertising campaign. After all, with a variety of strong movie franchises, he certainly doesn’t need the work.

Reeves as the Everyman

Despite starring in two of the largest film franchises of the last 25 years—The Matrix and John Wick—as well as countless other movies, including Bill & Ted, Point Break, and The Replacements, Reeves manages to remain somewhat of an everyman. Never pretentious, always down to earth, he’s the kind of guy you'd like to have a drink with.

He selects projects that interest him, not just ones that promise awards or larger paychecks, which is why we’re here. Keanu actually enjoys Japanese whisky—particularly the variety produced by House of Suntory.

Reeves first tried Japanese whisky in the early ’90s. It was during an experience at an old bar at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo that his love for Suntory began.

“Probably when I did Point Break,” he muses. “I tried a couple of the Japanese whiskies on their menu. That's when I had the chance to first taste Hibiki 21.”

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Over 30 years later, Reeves keeps coming back to the House of Suntory, the brand he sampled on that first trip to Japan.

“One of the things that really struck me was how they have this contrasting dialogue of tension with what they make,” he says. He particularly likes the contrast of smoke and fruit, as well as how the house manages to find hibiki, the Japanese word for “balance.”

“Different things we put in our bodies make us feel different ways," says Reeves. "With whisky, Japanese whisky, you might want to just think, talk, feel, hang out, philosophize—find some balance.”

A Storied History With Suntory

Reeves' history with Suntory actually begins with a 1992 commercial. There’s a computer, a cat (which turns into a woman), and a glass filled with Suntory Reserve. Reeves likes “the weirdness" of the ad and "the fantasy of it.” Cut to the present and it couldn't be more distant from the Suntory Whisky 100th Anniversary Tribute, which marks Sofia Coppola’s first return to Suntory since Lost in Translation.

The tribute, aptly called Suntory Time, finds Reeves stepping somewhat into Bill Murray’s shoes, though he’s reluctant to draw any comparisons.

“You're not going to be walking in those footsteps,” he says. “That film, Lost in Translation, and that artist, Bill Murray, are extraordinary.”

What drew Reeves into this project was its collaborative nature.

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The tribute itself looks back over the last 100 years of the House of Suntory. Incorporating a variety of past campaigns, it includes Reeves' 1992 commercial, Murray in the previously discussed film, an ad featuring Francis Ford Coppola alongside Akira Kurosawa, and a clip featuring American singer Sammy Davis Jr.

While the 1968 track “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James & the Shondells plays in the background, Reeves smiles and sips whisky with friends in Japan. He looks comfortable, like he knows this space, fitting in seamlessly among the vinyl records and red leather booths.

Roman Coppola's Docuseries

On top of the 100 Years of Suntory Tribute, Reeves also worked with director/screenwriter Roman Coppola (Sofia's brother) on a documentary series entitled The Nature and Spirit of Japan. The series explores Japanese whisky culture inspired by harmony with nature (wa), elevated by Japanese craftsmanship (monozukuri), and enjoyed as an authentic Japanese cultural experience (omotenashi).

The docuseries gave Reeves a chance to explore Japanese whisky on a personal level. Asked how the past 30 years has allowed him to perceive whisky differently, he replies, “I'd say probably getting to work on the docuseries, meeting master blenders, and having a chance to actually sit with them and go to master blending introduction 101 had the biggest impact."

"Now, I try to really taste what I'm tasting," he adds, "but I don't know if I've done the work that's necessary to be accurate. It's so subjective. I've experienced it with wine as well. For me, the experience of going to Japan is definitely—I don't know if the word is better—but I have a sense of being able to taste and try to express what I'm tasting in a more detailed way.”

The Mystique of Japanese Culture

For Reeves, an interest in Japanese culture stretches back to childhood. “As a kid, it was like—what is that? The idea of stillness and being in the moment," he says. "There's something about how they deal with nature, with form and structure. The ceremony that goes into so many aspects of the culture—whether its paper, calligraphy, poetry, architecture, denim, design..."

Reeves points to a plant on the table, briefly touching it with his outstretched hand. “They even look to control plants, right? Miniaturization and trimming and cutting and pulling. But then they'll do flower arranging and see the expression of shape and emptiness and form and color. I appreciate it all."

As our time begins to wrap up, Reeves returns to the whisky. “There's this idea of the pursuit of perfection, but that you know you'll never have it," he says.

During an era when millennials are looking backward rather than forward, could anything fit better than Reeves in a Lost in Translation-inspired whisky ad? Life may look easy when Reeves is doing it. But even he looks back, trying to find balance in time past—savoring moments like a fine whisky.