Molson demonstrates how every medium has its master with a new 30-second brand spot for its Molson M brand.
The commercial from BBDO captures a few well-known artists as they paint, dance or cook, depending on their medium–in one sequence, celebrity chef Mark McEwan prepares fish.
“We wanted to have artists that are renowned in some way so that it would resonate with people seeing the ad,” said Martine Bouthillier, senior brand manager for Molson Coors Canada.
Previous advertising efforts for the Molson M brand focused largely on the actual beer because the “brand positioning was still in the works,” explained Bouthillier.
Developed at Molson’s Montreal brewery, Molson M is brewed using a “micro-carbonization process” which involves injecting the beer with CO2 through “smaller, finer bubbles.”
“We decided to focus on the beauty of the liquid,” said Bouthillier of early advertising initiatives that ran in 2009 and 2010. “We were already treating the liquid like a piece of art in some way, so with this campaign we are taking it to the next level.
“Molson M is now celebrating the mastery and artistry that can be found anywhere, including in brewing,” she said. “Our art is brewing and we are masters at it, so that’s what the message is all about.”
The target audience, said Bouthillier, is men and women 25-49 with a focus on 30-year-old males who are “defined by their passion, discerning people, intelligent, intriguing, independent individuals.”
The Molson M television commercial differs greatly from most beer advertising with lots of party scenes, young attractive females and, in Canada at least, lots of hockey shots.
“Molson M is not a typical beer brand,” said Bouthillier. “It’s a one-of-a-kind brand that uses one-of-a-kind technology and therefore it called for a one-of-a-kind approach.
“This ad is not about hockey or music,” she said. “It’s about celebrating the creative minds and passion that is put into art the same way our brew master puts the passion into brewing.”
From the music to the editing and even the way the commercial was shot, everything about this campaign is different, said Bouthillier. “Usually you have a director on set that tells people what to do,” she said. “Since we were shooting with real artists he was respectfully observing them expressing their passion whether it was on a canvas, with a pen, in a kitchen… it was really a respectful environment.”
The commercial launched late last year and is running on Citytv, Food Network and Radio-Canada until mid-March. MediaEdge handled the media buy.
Molson recently made Marketing’s list of top 10 marketers in 2011. Why? Click here to find out.
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