Refreshingly Obvious
mike's hard seltzer
Having had huge success in the US, hard seltzers were bubbling over into the UK to meet the needs of changing drinking habits, healthier alcohol options and the desire for a bigger range of flavours. But a couple of years ago, people in the UK didn’t really know what a hard seltzer was. If they did, it was probably because of White Claw, the RTD behemoth that was making its way over from the US with a big cultural and media presence. While the category was set to grow by +200% in 2019 here in the UK, awareness and consideration for hard seltzers was pretty low, even in the 18-34 age group, who were the key drivers of growth.
Despite mike’s Hard Lemonade being a key player in the launch of the category in US in the 90s, this was basically a brand launch in the UK. Working from a global platform, our task was to introduce the low awareness audience of UK drinkers to the hard seltzer category and develop a personality for mike’s that ensured it was their obvious drink of choice for summer.
The Insight
The most fun happens when we forget about trying too hard and embrace the simple joys instead.
The Idea
When you consider all the stupid stuff people have created, it’s a wonder that it took this long to makes mike’s Hard Seltzer: a simple and delicious blend of alcohol, real fruit flavour and sparkling water. When you think about it, it really is Refreshingly Obvious.
Our campaign used our three pillars of Taste, Occasion and Personality to provide a fresh take on pretentiousness. In the category, in advertising and in the world in general, there are so many unnecessary complications that it’s a welcome change to let go of the BS and enjoy some refreshing, sparkling fun.
The Work
We applied this global Refreshingly Obvious lens to our OOH, radio, and influencer campaign in the UK.
OOH
OOH was our key consideration driver, bringing to life the Refreshingly Obvious tone of voice through headlines, whilst showcasing the refreshing taste and real fruit flavour.
Radio & podcasts
We used similar messaging across digital radio and podcasts to land both personality and product education across the genres of sports, comedy, news, and politics.
Influencer
We partnered “mike-minded” influencers and gave them the freedom to create content that was a natural fit to them, while also landing our Refreshingly Obvious attitude and key messages around taste and occasion.
Results
- 90% of the 18-34yo UK population saw mike’s ad at least 7 times
- 100 million impressions delivered across social channels
- +16% growth in awareness
- 2x the penetration rate vs. 2020
- #1 Hard Seltzer brand in repeat rate