Building a multi-million dollar brand through authentic storytelling.
The Challenge
We needed to successfully launch a new premium beer within a crowded market and quickly establish footholds in new geographic areas to create a halo effect for other portfolio brands—and we had to do it all with a fraction of the budgets of our multinational competitors.
The Solution
Leveraging the brewery’s origin story, we created a brand that pays homage to the original 16 founders who, over 30 years ago, banded together, risked everything, and bought the brewery they worked at when it was about to be shuttered by a large national brewer.
Although unconventional, our goal was to create a simple, emotional connection between a group of really old guys and a 25-year-old beer-drinking demographic. We chose to forego the beer babes and slow-motion shots of fist-bumping millennials and, instead, told an authentic David-and-Goliath story that not only resonated with our target, but renewed a sense of pride within the company.
After developing the brand name, logo and identity, packaging, and a set of brand standards, we rolled out a full 360°campaign that consisted of print, OOH, broadcast, digital, social, public relations, trade collateral, in-store POS, and wearables. Each touchpoint was tied together by the single-minded brand positioning, “Some beers have a story. This one has a legend.”
The Results
The approach was a success. Our audience loved the story, wanted to support what it stood for, and felt emotionally engaged by it. In the first year after launch, sales targets were exceeded by over 50%. Original 16 has since grown into the largest domestic premium beer in its home market of Saskatchewan—beating out brands like Alexander Keith’s, Moosehead, and Sleeman.
