New Brunswick-based Moosehead Breweries is launching Cracked Canoe, a premium light beer brand set to hit the Canadian market next month.
Speaking to media in Toronto yesterday, Moosehead president Andrew Oland and Matt Johnston, the company’s vice-president of marketing for North America, introduced the brewery’s new brand, which has an alcohol volume of 3.5% and contains less than 100 calories per serving.
The product, available in every province but Quebec and Newfoundland at launch, was created in response to consumers’ increased health-consciousness, interest in premium beer and desire to take time out from their hectic lives, said Johnston.
“We call it ‘approachable sophistication,’ ” he said. “It’s for 30-plus consumers, both men and women, who are looking for a more sophisticated, premium offering from a Canadian brand.”
The duo also revealed the elements of the national advertising campaign to support the launch.
Cracked Canoe, which is packaged in both bottles and thin, black cans featuring a white moose logo, will be promoted via a 30-second television spot, print ads, in-store executions and a microsite, (CrackedCanoe.ca) that goes live May 1.
“The whole brand idea is based around slowing down and taking a break,” said Johnston. “This is a social product and it’s about enjoying the moment with the right group of people.”
The TV spot was filmed primarily in slow motion and includes images of a couple slow-dancing, a baseball pitcher releasing a slow-paced knuckleball and a man and a woman slowing down as they catch each other’s eye on a rainy street.
The advertising features the tag line “The. Slow. Brewed. Beer,” a reference to Moosehead’s slow-brewing process, which is explained in detail in the print executions.
The creative debuts in May and was developed by Toronto agency John St., which won the Cracked Canoe launch assignment last year.
“They capitalized on our product offering and captured the emotional headspace and brought it back to us with a really simple idea,” said Johnston of the work by John St. “For us to cut through [to consumers], we need simplicity.”
