Canadian Club’s ‘Who Made Beer King of the Campsite?’ campaign created by The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, subverts the cultural appropriation of beer with the great outdoors.
In November this year, Canadian Club released a campaign that builds upon the brand’s long-standing platform, ‘over beer?’ which was originally launched by the Works a decade ago and has since been developed by the Monkeys.
The campaign asks: Who Made Beer King of the Campsite? in the one place where it is still boss in the wide open space outdoors.
The work features camp goers admitting to their distaste for beer while abiding by the social expectation to buy a case when participating in outdoor activities, the array of excuses is interrupted by the lover of Canadian Club who coins the phrase: “ Who made beer king of the campsite?”.
The campaign was broadcasted on television, OOH, online and across social media platforms.
AdNews spoke with industry creatives to gauge their thoughts on the work and its success.
Doug Hamilton, creative director at Howatson+Company says that going after one of beer’s strongholds, the campsite, is a clever evolution in the ‘‘Over Beer’ platform.
Hamilton: “Chair hole. Any ad that gets those words on our screens gets my tick.
“Going after one of beer’s strongholds, the campsite, is a clever evolution of the Canadian Club ‘Over Beer’ platform. To be honest, I was slightly getting over it. The performances are solid and I also enjoyed the fake beer packaging in the opening scene.
“It’s a cheeky, subtle nod to who currently dominates the camper's share of the throat. Camping feels like a rich world to continue to plunder, and it would be cool to see them pull it off beyond film.
“While I’ve never actually drunk Canadian Club myself, the next time I go camping, after a hard day not catching fish, I might just wrap my soft hands around a cold one.”
The Monkeys creative director Scott Dettrick says: “‘Who made beer king of the campsite?’ tackles those truths head on and leverages the tension that comes from the limited choice we all have when camping.”
Ross Cockrill, a writer at Archibald Williams says that it’s refreshing to see Canadian Club embrace humour in a category that shouldn’t take itself too seriously.
Cockrill: “I’ve always been a huge fan of Canadian Club ‘Over Beer?’ ads. There are few campaigns out there today that can take on an entire category and win, without saying anything in particular about the product they’re selling.
“It’s such a great strategy, based on a killer insight that works on so many different levels.
“But the thing I find most amusing about these spots, aside from all the excellently crafted gags, is that tonally they feel more like old beer ads.
“While current beer advertising appears to be getting dryer and dryer, it’s refreshing to see Canadian Club continue to embrace humour in a category that shouldn’t take itself too seriously. It definitely made me consider sticking one in my chair hole.”
Matt Dawe, associate creative director at Enigma knows all too well the pressures of pretending to enjoy Australia’s favourite nectar while in social situations and found a resonating humour in this campaign.
Dawe: “As someone who would rather blow the froth off a schooner of warm dishwater than chug a beer, which, to be fair, is pretty comparable in taste anyway, I’ve always resonated with the pressures of pretending to enjoy Australia’s favourite nectar while in social situations.
“Never more so than at the camping ground.
“Ladened with absolute bang-on insights, this new chapter of Over Beer feels surprising and fresh, but also familiar and inevitable. I got a real chuckle out of every spot, but ‘BBQ’ was the pick of the bunch.
“A pint of CC and Dry is on me if I ever meet whoever wrote the line ‘Stick that in your chair hole’. Love it.”
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