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Challenge

Monteith’s was in decline, loyalists were aging and unsure what their brand stood for. While the growth audience of younger craft beer drinkers couldn’t see how this ‘heritage’ brand was relevant to the conversations they wanted to have over a brew with mates. 

We needed to transform the brand to be more relevant to younger consumers. Changing our traditional ways of communicating. The answer came from a new approach to media and a partnership to dramatize our new product launch of Monteith’s Patriot American Pale Ale. 

Solution

Monteith’s American Pale Ale (APA) launch was our first opportunity to steer clear of mainstream beer behaviour. Forget our past of TVC’s, glossy product shots and historical regional credentials. The media had to become the message to get Monteith’s discovered by a wider and younger urban audience.  

This media led strategy was simple; Act crafty, be memorable, become the story: Get talked about.  

We didn’t have the budget to buy awareness, or the right to demand it. We needed an idea that our target could buy into over the long term while use of channels had to scream ‘craft’; Airplane banners, Billboards within billboards and a never attempted before, ‘one to one’ mobile billboard strategy. 

Moreover, the product needed to be the hero – our New Patriot American Pale Ale needed to make a statement through acting crafty.

Result

God bless America! It worked. Of the 1,505 new Craft SKU’s launched in 2019, The Patriot APA 12 pack was the No. 1 SKU launched for the year* and number 2 overall beer SKU launched in the year.

Most compellingly, the halo effect of this new launch turned Monteith’s brand decline into growth.