The Brief

Export Dry was New Zealand’s first premium Dry beer. But over the past decade the premium beer category has exploded, pushing the once popular Export Dry into obscurity. We needed to turn Export Dry’s fortunes around and reposition it as a credible premium beer. Research showed that our target market didn’t like wine, but occasionally drank it because of societal pressures (e.g.) at weddings, work functions, dinner parties etc. Even premium beers struggle to make it to the dinner table. So we positioned Export Dry as the premium beer that saves men from wine, a beer fit for any occasion.

Creative Execution

Partnering with a major Auckland wine retailer, we placed our ‘You Don’t Have to Do This Wine’ as a featured product in their monthly electronic mailer. Instead of an elaborate blurb about its flavour profile, the copy encouraged recipients not to buy wine, but buy Export Dry instead, as beer was what they really wanted. The EDM encouraged guys to click on a link to buy Export Dry online or to come in store and pick it up in person.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We created a wine called, “You Don’t Have To Do This”. When guys browsing for wine picked up a bottle and read the back, they were told they were making a mistake. That they shouldn’t buy wine, but Export Dry instead, as beer was what they wanted. By scanning the bottle at the counter they instantly received $5 off a box of Export Dry. The wine bottle was then put back on display, effectively becoming a perpetual in-store voucher. Our desired outcome was a significant lift in sales of Export Dry in stores where the wine bottles were displayed.

Results

The electronic mailer, sent to the retailer’s database of 7500 people, led to a 350% increase in sales of Export Dry, resulting in the wine retailer’s best sales of Export Dry ever.