Canoe Beer
Marketing Campaign for the rebrand and new beer line up (2018)
(Canoe Brewpub, unfortunately, was one of the businesses that shut down during Covid)
The Mission
Canoe Brewpub was releasing a new beer lineup along with refreshed branding.
My Role
As the Creative Lead, I led the creative direction of the marketing campaign. I worked closely with the Regional Marketing Manager to create the vision for the campaign. I wrote the creative briefs, storyboards and was the point person with the photographers, videographers and editors.
Audience
Vancouver Island hipsters
20-45 years old.
Lovers of craft beer, adventure and the outdoors.
Goal
Authentically and emotionally connect the new branding and beer line up with the audience through tying in the PNW adventurous lifestyle.
Process
How many times can a PNW lifestyle brand tell the story of the great outdoor west coast adventure? In our initial brainstorming sessions, we realized we were on the verge of regurgitating stories that have already been told, however, we also knew we couldn’t stray away from it either. The Canoe brand literally eats, breaths, and lives the west coast vibe.
After kaiboshing our first storyline, we went back to the drawing board. What specific types of west coast activities truly connect with our audience? Inspired by Beyonce and Jay-Z’s On The Run II tour promo video, the idea of slowing down a moment came to mind.
We decided to produce four shorts that each paired a Canoe Beer with a leisurely west coast activity: cycling, surfing, hiking, and canoeing (couldn’t leave this one out, obvs).
Focusing on natural soundscapes, macro shots and a combination of fast & slow-motion effects, the intention was to capture not only those tiny blissful moments that encompass a memory, but how one recalls that memory.
Campaign roll-out
We launched the shorts on social media with a heavy emphasis on Canoe’s Instagram feed, stories, and TV.
We thought coupling minimalistic copy with the voice and tone of the videos would be effective. However, we learned this concept was too subtle and abstract, and our voice wasn’t ‘loud’ enough to garner the engagement and attention we aimed for.
For the two remaining videos, we pivoted our approach by making them more tangible for the audience. We revised the copy to include food pairings, flavour profiles, and giveaways, resulting in increased engagement.
Plug into your headphones and watch all four videos here:
West Coast • Amber • Witbier • Helles