Why This Canadian Beer Is Encouraging Irresponsible Drinking
Traditionally, non-alcoholic beer marketing has been pretty one-dimensional in Canada. ‘It tastes just like regular beer!’ they say, before firmly reminding consumers that, unlike regular beer, it’s a far more ‘mature’, ‘refined’ and ‘responsible’ choice. And while there may be a grain of truth behind that approach, it’s just not very fun… or original.
This is something that beer brand Cold Ones, and Wunderman Thompson Canada were keenly aware of. And it’s for this reason that they decided to position the brand as the very first non-alcoholic beer meant to be enjoyed irresponsibly.
Focusing on what beer represents to those drinking it, rather than the decisions which might drive someone away from choosing an alcoholic option, the two collaborated to capture the moments that make beer drinking fun, from backyard BBQs to craziness by the swimming pool. Not only did these moments come up strong in a spot designed to remind audiences that they haven’t aged out of tomfoolery and good times, but they literally translated to the beer cans themselves. Specifically, the two designed a whole new aesthetic, complete with imagery of fun moments meant to resonate with buyers,so they could choose whatever felt most meaningful to them - as well as a fun typeface that features the ‘O’s in ‘Cold Ones’ replaced by the ‘0.0%’ alcohol designation.
To find out more, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down for a chat with Wunderman Thompson Canada’s associate creative directors Kyler Carpenter and José Rivas, and design director Mike Butler.
LBB> What was the brief like for this campaign, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
Kyle, José and Mike> It all started with a casual conversation with our client, Tom, who had the idea to launch a new, non-alcoholic beer after he couldn’t find one that he felt was made for him. So, we decided to look at what was out there, in order to try to see where the gap in the market might be. In short, what we found was that there weren’t any non-alcoholic beers that seemed like they were having any fun. And if a brand like Liquid Death can make water fun, why couldn’t we do the same for non-alcoholic beer?
LBB> Playing on the idea that you can still be irresponsible with non-alcoholic beer is super clever! What made this the right approach for the job?
Kyle, José and Mike> A lot of non-alcoholic beer messaging leans on the benefits of being responsible. Like, ‘Hey, you’re in your thirties now, wouldn’t it be nice to not be hungover tomorrow?’. But to us, that misses the point. It should be about enjoying the moment, not worrying about the one that comes next. And you don’t need to involve alcohol in any way to have that kind of mindset.
We also noticed that almost every can of beer in Canada has the same two words on it: ‘enjoy responsibly’. So, our design director had the idea to flip it to ‘enjoy irresponsibly’. After that, the entire brand personality just clicked.
LBB> Tell us about the design process of the cans! Was this something you entirely did in-house?
Kyle, José and Mike> The creative process was 100% collaborative, from the design of the can to the font choice for the wordmark. We had a team of two ACDs (Kyle and José), working alongside our design director (Mike), to bring every element of the brand design to life.
We started by tossing around ideas for how we could create nostalgia for the kind of carefree moments we associated with drinking beer in our younger days. We thought back to the brands you always used to see at parties and random get-togethers, like Pabst, Pilsner and Colt 45. From there, we landed on a typeface that felt unique, yet reminiscent of those types of brands. Plus, we wanted one that would allow us to put the ‘0.0%’ front and centre by highlighting it in the words: ‘Cold Ones’.
Once we landed on the wordmark, we wanted a canvas for the name that let us actually show all of those relatable, feel-good moments, which is where the idea to use photography came in.
LBB> What were your goals for the overall look of the campaign, and where did the photos come from?
Kyle, José and Mike> Our goal was for the overall look to be playful, nostalgic, and not taken too seriously - just like the brand itself. Adding different colours gave each can an extra hit of personality. By mixing and matching different photos and colours for different cans, we hoped people would feel a personal connection to a particular one. They could grab the can they related to off the shelf, which might not happen if each can was the same.
In terms of sourcing the photos, while the cans were still being developed, we obtained rights-free images from a variety of sources, and subsequently credited the photographers on each can.
LBB> Tell us more about the making of the spot itself. What was this process like, and how long did it take?
Kyle, José and Mike> We knew the story we wanted to tell, but the process of putting the video together took a couple of weeks of fine tuning. Because the brand is built from scratch, we didn’t have the benefit of any original footage to work with. So, we needed the pace, energy and visual effects of the edit to keep people engaged enough to want to see what was next.
LBB> The merch is also very fun. What was this design process like?
Kyle, José and Mike> The merch started as a stress test for the wordmark; we wanted to make sure it held up not only on the can, but on t-shirts, stickers and beyond. But that process led to the creation of some fun secondary logos and visual elements that also helped round out the brand.
LBB> As a whole, what challenges came with this project, and what lessons did you learn in the process?
Kyle, José and Mike> We could have tried to tell this story a million ways, but seeing was believing. As soon as we had the first wordmark and can design mocked up, people started to get onboard. We had a lot of supporters early on at WT Canada - and throughout the network globally - which was a huge help.
That said, the main challenge we faced was the need to keep the momentum going to get the brand off the ground. And that’s where we are today - we’re continuing to push to make big things happen for this little-brand-that-could.
LBB> Since launch, how have people responded?
Kyle, José and Mike> Honestly, the response has been overwhelming. I don’t think any of us expected the work to get the amount of positive attention it’s received, in both the design world and the beer world. But clearly, something’s struck a chord.
LBB> Finally, what’s the most irresponsible thing you’ve done while enjoying a Cold One?
Kyle, José and Mike> As three elderly millennials, the most irresponsible thing we get up to these days is not hitting save on a presentation deck before getting up to grab a coffee!
