Why Molson Reinvented Itself for the New Generation of Canadians
What do you think of when imagining a Canadian beer ad? Something showcasing the sheer carbonation of the beer via a slow motion pour? Some flannel, beards and Muskoka chairs on a lakeside dock? Or maybe a piece of work filmed straight out of a densely populated pub? Whatever the case may be, over the past 20 or so years, trends have certainly formed within the category, and it’s for this reason that Molson - Canada’s oldest brewery - realised it was time to escape this image.
As such, the brand decided it was time to reinvent and reintroduce itself to a new generation of Canadian beer drinkers with the launch of ‘Everyone In’. Developed in partnership with creative agency Rethink, this push is anchored by a 60-second spot set in locations across the country, ranging from family-run pubs and pho restaurants to salsa clubs and drag brunches. Done with the goal of helping to tell the story of Canada’s diversity, indeed, these are places where one would absolutely expect to find beer, but, traditionally-speaking, would be unlikely to show up in a beer commercial.
Underscored by Drake’s 'One Dance', a voiceover emphasises that no matter who you are, or how long you've been in Canada, ‘There's a Molson with your name on it’ - serving as a reminder that in a country as diverse as this one, Molson will always be for everyone… unless they’re under legal drinking age, of course.
LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Rethink partners and creative directors Caroline Friesen and Robbie Percy, and Molson senior brand manager Sophia Lal, to explore how this campaign came to life.
LBB> Reinventing Molson is no small task. How did this factor into the brief, and how did your partnership with Rethink help elevate the idea?
Sophia> A brief of this magnitude needed a deep understanding of our brands and where we’ve been, where we’ve explored and stepped back from, and where we’ve always wished we could go. Rethink understands the history of Molson and has a strong grasp on consumers today - and given this brief was about going where we wished we could always go, we wanted to ensure that our agency, who has been with us and pushed us previously, got to make those wishes a reality.
LBB> What made now the right time to launch this reinvention? And why was this high priority for Molson?
Sophia> 2023 was the right time for Molson for a few reasons:
- We had the foundation to bring our portfolio together and build Molson with a few key actions stemming from our rebrand in 2019.
- As we came back to a full year of open bars and restaurants across Canada, we wanted to make sure Molson was a part of that life, as we had supported our bars and restaurants throughout the pandemic and…
- Lastly, if not now, when?
Every year that we decided not to reach a new consumer was a year where other brands would speak to their hearts and minds and earn their loyalty.
LBB> Reflecting the changing lives of Canadians by featuring people who might not normally appear in a beer spot is a great idea! Where did this idea come from, and what made it the best approach for the creative?
Caroline & Robbie> The idea really came from the fact that you can walk into almost any type of bar or restaurant across the country and order a Molson - and yet we’d never really seen any of those places featured in beer advertising before. This campaign was an opportunity to show the diversity that’s inherent to the brand in a real, authentic way.
When we were looking at a lot of those bars, we noticed that many of them had the names of the owners in them. Letting those names guide the narrative of the spot as a way of representing that diversity felt like a really interesting approach that which we hadn’t seen before.
LBB> Let’s talk about the actual locations and activities featured - everywhere from pho spots to drag brunches. How did you decide what to include, and what made you choose the exact locations you did?
Caroline & Robbie> The diversity of the locations and activities is really a result of the diversity of Canada, and all the places you can get a Molson. We honestly started by just making a list of the many types of places one can get the beer, and then said, ‘Great! Let’s go find these places and film them!’.
Figuring out the actual final locations was definitely a logistical puzzle, but through it all, the thing we kept coming back to was authenticity and making sure people across the country would be able to see themselves and the places they love in it.
LBB> Who directed the spot, and what made them the perfect person for the job?
Caroline & Robbie> James Michael Chiang directed the spot. As you can see, he’s got an amazing eye and is so good at capturing real, intimate moments and making regular people feel comfortable on camera. He’s also a really talented photographer, and a lot of his photos from our shoot days ended up making it into the final edit.
LBB> And what was the shooting process like? Do you have any anecdotes to share from on set?
Caroline & Robbie> The shoot process was very nimble; we were shooting in a lot of real bars and restaurants and moving a lot, so working with a smaller crew helped make that happen. In terms of timing and location, the spot was shot across the country, with five shoot days that took place over the course of a couple weeks.
A lot of the people we shot were actually just real groups of friends, which made the whole experience and the vibe on set a whole lot of fun. It’s something that James does a lot of, and it really allowed us to capture those authentic, slice of life moments.
LBB> The voiceover is excellent! Who lent their voice to the work, and what made them the best choice?
Caroline & Robbie> It was voiced by Drew Nelson. He’s got this very conversational, honest delivery that was just perfect for this!
LBB> How did you end up using Drake’s ‘One Dance’ as the soundtrack? What made it the best choice, and were there other soundtracks in consideration?
Caroline & Robbie> There was definitely lots of musical exploration along the way, but seeing as it’s a spot about Canada for an iconic Canadian brand, we really wanted to use a song from a Canadian artist. For this reason, Drake’s ‘One Dance’ was a perfect fit. Time and time again, this was the track that kept rising to the top, and it really helped bring the right energy and vibe to the spot.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Caroline & Robbie> There are lots of logistical challenges associated with featuring real locations in cities across the country, so figuring out where we were actually going to shoot was a real puzzle. It was definitely an all-hands-on-deck collaboration, and with a lot of hard work from some amazing producers and the Molson team, we made it happen.
Sophia> Filming across three different cities - in real bars and restaurants and with real groups of friends - made this work a jigsaw puzzle for production. It was truly a huge team effort to have all the pieces fit together to ensure we were representative of Canada – geographically, demographically, and with authenticity. We made sure that Rethink, our production teams and brand were on the same page regarding what success looked like, and that every partner we added throughout the process brought their perspective to elevate the spot.
LBB> Are there any aspects you’re particularly proud of?
Caroline & Robbie> One thing we’ve heard a lot of is people saying is that until now, they’ve never seen someone that looks like them in a beer commercial. Representation is super important, so it’s awesome to have played a role in making that happen.
Sophia> We’re particularly proud of the slices of life and realness that is in the spot. As a big brand, getting into the little moments - where we really show the people who hold our brand proudly the significance of occasions we were able to capture - is sometimes tricky. Our creative partners, our production partners and the brand team held each other to a high standard, and that really allowed us to ensure that we kept both the depth of humanity and the breadth of diversity from the pitch of the idea through to the final spot.
LBB> How have people reacted to this campaign, and how does this work fit into Molson’s platform for 2023?
Caroline & Robbie> The reaction has been really positive. In addition to seeing themselves in the spot, people are also loving the locations we featured. There’s been a lot of comments like ‘I cant believe Maria’s Sports Bar or King’s Noodles is in a Molson spot’, and ‘That place is exactly like my neighbourhood bar!’. I think it really speaks to the lack of diversity that existed in beer advertising previously, and just how much this new direction is resonating with people.
Sophia> Overall, the sentiment has been ‘goosebumps’. I think it speaks to the fact that there is pride for Canada in 2023 - but in a very different way than the year 2000 - and that there is this amazing and genuine emotional reaction to a brand that we can all relate to and connect over (literally).
As we look at 2023, this fits in as we bring our expansive beer portfolio (that is available across the country) to life, ensuring we have a beer for everyone (of legal drinking age, that is).
LBB> Is there anything you’d like to add?
Caroline & Robbie> It’s a really exciting time for Molson. This new platform is one that has so much potential for great work, and we’re excited to be a part of bringing that to life.
Sophia> This is just the beginning. We know that many brands have modernised and stepped into current and future trends, and we have been a bit behind the times in doing so. However, this is just us talking the talk, and we’re excited to walk the walk and invite everyone in Canada (of legal drinking age) to grab a Molson.
