Why is this work relevant for PR?

San Miguel, the most popular beer in the Philippines for generations, had gotten old. Losing relevance to younger drinkers. So to appeal to two very different audiences, San Miguel released two music videos, one for each market. Side A captures how older drinkers were back in the day. Side B is a more modern take for the younger generation. But when watched on mobile and placed side by side, they formed a new video, combining melodies and lyrics to form a new song. With storytelling at its core, Side by Side successfully won the hearts of the younger market.

Background

San Miguel Pale Pilsen was seen to be an old person’s drink. A hundred twenty-eight year-old brand, drunk by generations of Filipinos, had lost its appeal to young drinkers of the internet age. Drinkership amongst 18-34 year-olds had dwindled to just over a quarter at 26% by the end of 2018. The brief was to increase its popularity among young drinkers. This mattered because the Philippines is a young country, with about 2 in 5 drinkers belonging to this age segment. In doing so, we aimed to increase sales by at least 10%.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

For generations, San Miguel Pale Pilsen has been the favorite beer of Filipinos. But in recent years, it had struggled to connect with younger drinkers, losing ground to imported beers. Could we appeal to the younger crowd without losing our older fans? We turned to something Filipinos of all ages agree on: Music and Brotherhood. San Miguel released two music videos online—one for each market. Side A, specifically created for the older group, using music, look and lyrics from that era. Side B had a more current take for the younger crowd, using modern sounds and styles. But together, played side by side, the lyrics and melody blended seamlessly into a new song about timeless friendship. Proving that there are some things both generations can agree on: friendship and an ice-cold San Miguel Beer.

Describe the strategy (30% of vote)

how San Miguel could bring drinkers together even in the digital age, using tools that would resonate to today’s audiences. The Philippines is Social country. With 71% of the country spending over 4 hrs a day being active on social media, we knew that it would be the ideal platform to tell San Miguel’s story in the digital age. This would allow us to reach both older & younger age groups in an efficient way. Mobile was where generations converged on social. Facebook insights revealed that over 90% of each age group accessed Facebook primarily on their mobile phones (94% for 18-34, 96% for 35- 44). The PR strategy: Make San Miguel famous for bringing drinkers together using the defining tool of the digital age: mobile

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

One message, two audiences: We created two different music videos that told our story of brotherhood, delivered using age targeting online. We spread these songs by playing them in radio stations and hang out places of each generation. The videos adopted pop culture references from generation they were targeted towards. But the videos had a secret: when watched on phones and placed side by side with each other, they formed a third video: images perfectly synced up and the music blending together. Engineering Discovery: Instead of telling both our audiences about this, we decided they should discover it themselves. Knowing each segment’s penchant for discovering new music through social platforms, we selected influencers and lifestyle & news outfits popular online that we would leak this easter egg to and spread the news for us. We identified two different sets, one for each age group.

List the results (30% of vote) – must include at least two of the following tiers:

San Miguel Pale Pilsen’s popularity among today’s drinkers rose. Massive improvement in brand health metrics associated with popularity and likelihood to purchase, increasing in double digits. “The In Drink” from 28.4 to 58.1, and “Proud to be seen drinking” from 33.5 to 57.4. San Miguel Pale Pilsen’s sales rose. Drinkership amongst 18-34 year-olds increased by more than half, rising all the way to 40.4%. Those who drank it most often within this age group more than tripled compared to the previous year’s, and San Miguel Pale Pilsen sold half a million more cases compared to its monthly average in the last sixteen months.