OVER THERE OVER HERE

With trade negotiations between the U.S. and Japan a continuing source of friction, Asahi Beer’s billboard in Long Beach, Calif., was sure to draw some interest. ‘Japan Imports More Than Just Great Electronics,’ reads the billboard, which sports a bottle of Asahi wearing earphones and holding a radio. Sure the beer is a Japanese export, but Asatsu, the brewer’s agency here, wanted a little attention for the brand. And, technically, Japan has an organization that brings the beer here from over there, making it – by the agency’s reasoning – an import.