Former VB frontman Boonie fronts new campaign for Canadian Club via The Works, Sydney

July 18 2011, 12:46 am | BY Lynchy | 6 Comments

Screen shot 2011-07-18 at 12.42.52 AM.jpgCanadian Club, is extending its current ‘Over Beer?’ campaign with a significant through-the-line campaign via The Works Sydney, featuring Australian cricket legend and beer advocate, David Boon.

 

The campaign commenced with a series of unbranded videos leaked to social and digital media with ‘Boonie’ caught out enjoying a Canadian Club and Dry. The branded activity, which launched today, will involve targeted digital, print and out-of-home advertising running alongside a national integrated PR campaign to leverage Boonie’s involvement.

Screen shot 2011-07-18 at 10.31.50 AM.jpgScreen shot 2011-07-18 at 10.32.06 AM.jpgScreen shot 2011-07-18 at 10.32.23 AM.jpgScreen shot 2011-07-18 at 10.32.38 AM.jpgCanadian Club’s Brand Director, Trent Chapman, believes enlisting Boonie to front the Over Beer? campaign is a creative way of asking the question: are Australians ‘over beer’?

 

“This campaign is not about knocking beer, it’s about offering consumers a refreshing alternative. Boonie, a cricket legend first and foremost, but also a notable beer enthusiast, is the perfect face for this campaign – someone that Australian consumers can relate to when they are looking for that alternative to beer,” he said.

 

The campaign comes as a response to a significant market trend showing Australians are consuming far less beer and looking for alternatives. A recent report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that beer sales are at a sixty year low, despite a steady increase in overall alcohol consumption since a record low in 1995-6. At the start of the 60’s, beer made up three quarters (76%) of all pure alcohol consumed, but in recent years this has fallen to under half (44%) while spirit consumption has almost doubled (12% to 20%)[1].

 

In addition, a recent survey of over 1,200 Australians showed that the vast majority (83%) of participants believe taste is the main factor in deciding what to drink. Over a third of total respondents said the reason their beer drinking had decreased is because there are better options available.

 

Boonie, who has enjoyed a close relationship with beer his entire adult life, says both sets of findings resonated with his own personal tastes: “I still enjoy a beer every now and then, but more often I’m finding it isn’t the refreshing drink I was after. My taste buds have definitely got more refined over the years, and I felt it was time for a change.”

 

The marketing, packaging, alcohol content and price of Canadian Club and Dry puts it on a par with most premium imported beers, making it a sophisticated alternative.

 

Damian Pincus, founding partner, The Works, believes the Over Beer? campaign for Canadian Club has been extremely successful for Beam Global Australia: “We wanted to take the strategy to the next stage in its evolution. Boonie is renowned for his beer drinking, and over many years has been supported by several beer brands. When we approached him about this campaign he reflected what mainstream Australians feel; that they are over beer and are looking for refreshing alternatives, so it was a great match.

“This is the first time the brand idea has been taken through-the-line and there has been some innovative thinking done in the digital space, so we’re really looking forward to seeing the results.”

 

Supporting the campaign will be integrated above-the-line and below-the-line activities with a strong focus on large, eye catching point-of-sale driving participation in a national consumer promotion. The “scratch and win” promotion will challenge consumers to ‘catch’ Boonie drinking a Canadian Club and Dry. Consumers are then ‘bribed’ to keep quiet, with one major prize $20,000, and 50 x $1,000 instant win prizes up for grabs.

 

In addition, fans can play the interactive ‘Where’s Boonie?’ game on Canadian Clubhouse’s Facebook page.